Attention menstruation-havers and friends of menstruation-havers (so everyone), Adelaide based social enterprise TABOO have officially launched their 100% organic cotton sanitary products. If your familiar with social enterprises, you’d know that means this organisation uses their business to make a positive social impact. For TABOO their mission is to ensure disadvantaged people living overseas and locally have access to sustainable sanitary care and education. They do this by donating all their profits from selling pads and tampons to organisations helping fight period poverty.

TABOO co-founders Eloise Hall and Isobel Marshall began their journey to help dismantle the stigma around menstruation as teenagers, winning Unley’s young entrepreneurship program Fish Tank in 2016. At the same time as studying at university, both young women are now running their sanitary product enterprise. Last year they travelled to Kenya and India to see the effects of period poverty for themselves.

“We were shocked to learn that 30% of girls in Developing Countries will drop out of school as soon as they get their first period and that many reproductive complications stem from the lack of appropriate menstrual health care and education. We became passionate about the cause, and felt an overwhelming responsibility to use our fortunate circumstances to support these women,” says Hall.

The profits from TABOO’s sanitary products will be donated to Melbourne-based charity One Girl, which provides affordable sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, sanitation, business skills and high-school scholarships to young women and their communities in Sierra Leone and Uganda.

TABOO are also helping disadvantaged women locally by partnering with Vinnies Crisis Centre. Customers have the option to purchase pads and tampons on behalf of a woman requiring emergency accommodation in SA. Plus, the profits of those sales will still benefit One Girl.

The ethical benefits of choosing TABOO don’t end there! TABOO are committed to producing environmentally-friendly tampons and pads. TABOO products are manufactured using hydroelectricity from the stream on the factory’s property. TABOO products are made from ethically sourced 100% organic cotton which disintegrates faster than the synthetic materials commonly used by other brands. The boxes housing the tampons and pads are made from recycled cardboard and can obviously be recycled too (and they are super cute).

Hall and Marshall were able to make their goals a reality by hosting a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2018 which raised $56,000 to pay for their first batch of TABOO products to sell here in Australia.

After two and half years of hard work, TABOO’s sanitary products went on sale at their exclusive launch party on August 22 at MOD. Hall and Marshall celebrated all the dedicated volunteers and generous supporters who made TABOO possible. The launch included live music, exquisite SA wines, delicious canapes by Gus Love and stunning grazing tables by Gracing Tables.

TABOO pads and tampons are now available for sale through their website. Make a once-off purchase or subscribe to receive your products periodically. Or buy their merchandise and wear with pride to help reduce the taboo of menstruation.

Thank you Girl About Town for inviting us to the launch event – it was a pink and red celebration that truly was bleeding love.

Words by Chloe Cannell