Eco Femme is a women-led social enterprise in Tamil Nadu, India, that produces organic washable cloth pads.[1][2] Eco Femme was founded in 2009 in Auroville (a UNESCO-backed evolving city)[3][4] by Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema who started by producing, applying and selling these washable menstrual pads in Auroville.[4][5] The aim was to produce pads that are both affordable and free of plastic.[6] They were also interested in designing a sustainable alternative to disposable pads for the women of India as well as setting up self sustaining initiatives in cloth pad production for women from the neighbouring villages.[4][5] All commercially sold pads are organically certified under GOTS[7] and Eco Femme is the first in this space to have achieved this certification.[8] The cloth pads are mostly made out of organic cotton[9][10] and can last up to 75 washes[8] or for three to five years from the time of purchasing.[11] These pads are sold in more than 20 countries across the world.[7] By 2022, Eco Femme has distributed over 1 million cloth pads which consequently saved more than 75 million single use disposable pads from reaching landfills.[7][12][8]
Eco Femme enables women and girls to make educated decisions about their menstrual health in India and around the world by creating a dialogue around menstruation and offering education in menstrual literacy.[13][14] They run two initiatives to enable free or affordable access to cloth pads. These include ‘Pad for Pad’ which provides an Indian adolescent girl with a free cloth pad kit for every pad sold internationally.[11][15] Their "Pads for Sisters" programme provides subsidised pads to economically disadvantaged women[11] Eco Femme has different partners across India, including 80 NGOs and 150 retailers.[12]
Eco Femme has been recognised for these efforts by different institutions.[16] It aims to encourage ecological and social transformation by revitalising menstrual practices that are empowering, ecologically sustainable, culturally sensitive and healthy for the user.[17] Eco Femme has also conducted training programs on how to stitch cloth pads to support income generation and local livelihood for rural women.[18][15] It also creates instructional materials, teaches facilitators, provides consulting services, and uses writing, filmmaking, and public speaking to advocate for non-polluting menstruation practises.[19]
Receptionedit
The Huffington Post listed Eco Femme as one of the “15 Indian Businesses That Deserve Your Custom For Promoting Sustainability".[20] It has also been named as one of the “5 Social Impact Startups Revolutionising Feminine Care Across Asia” by the Green Queen.[21] It won crQlr’s Menstruation Sustainability Prize in 2022 for being a ‘pioneer in menstrual education in India’ [8] and ‘enabling women and girls to make informed decisions about their menstrual health through their non-profit programs’.[8] Eco Femme also won the Restore Awards in 2022 for their health products.[22]
Eco Femme in Mediaedit
Eco Femme has been featured on different podcasts,[23][24] where they have discussed their mission to provide sustainable menstrual products and education to women in India and beyond.[24]
Referencesedit
^Dutt, Bahar (9 October 2014). "Three grassroots projects that Modi's Clean India campaign can learn from". Quartz. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^"8 Low Cost And Eco Friendly Ideas Which Have Revolutionized Women's Sanitary Hygiene In India". The Better India. 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^"Statements of Support - UNESCO | Auroville". auroville.org. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^ abcSreedharan, Divya (2012-10-13). "The Changemakers". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^ ab"How Eco Femme began making cloth pads cool again from a village near Pondicherry". Edex Live. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^"The Goan Village Women Helping Mitigate Plastic Pollution by Making Eco-friendly Sanitary Pads". Inter Press Service. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
^ abcde"Organic Reusable Cloth Pads for Circular Economy and Access to Sustainable Menstruation for All | Winners | crQlr 2022". crqlr.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-01-08.
^"The best eco-friendly sanitary brands worth trying now | Vogue Singapore | Beauty, Body, Wellness". Vogue Singapore. 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
^"Our Favourite Eco-Friendly Menstrual Products". Good On You. 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
^ abc"Eco Femme: Impacting Health, Sustainability and Women Empowerment with a Simple Product". Global Innovation Path. 2020-01-20. Retrieved 2022-05-09.[permanent dead link]
^ abChaudhry, Avani (2022-09-15). "Sustainable Menstruation: A Personal, Step-By-Step Guide To Making DIY Cloth Pads". Feminism in India. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
^Gerald, Olympia Shilpa (2014-05-29). "Breaking myths and taboos". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^"Five First Steps To Take To Lead A Sustainable Lifestyle". femina.in. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
^ ab. MOUJAMOON. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
^"SRM University presented Women Pacesetter Awards". Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^"Interview with Ecofemme, India based women-led social enterprise – Pacific Roots Magazine". Retrieved 2022-01-13.
^"Kigwema women train in making sanitary pads, pickle - Eastern Mirror". easternmirrornagaland.com. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
^Cycles, Connection to the Body and the Earth with Kathy Walkling, retrieved 2023-04-10
^ abA safe space & a sustainable period w/ EcoFemme, 2023-03-08, retrieved 2023-04-10
April 16, 2024
femme, women, social, enterprise, tamil, nadu, india, that, produces, organic, washable, cloth, pads, founded, 2009, auroville, unesco, backed, evolving, city, kathy, walkling, jessamijn, miedema, started, producing, applying, selling, these, washable, menstru. Eco Femme is a women led social enterprise in Tamil Nadu India that produces organic washable cloth pads 1 2 Eco Femme was founded in 2009 in Auroville a UNESCO backed evolving city 3 4 by Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema who started by producing applying and selling these washable menstrual pads in Auroville 4 5 The aim was to produce pads that are both affordable and free of plastic 6 They were also interested in designing a sustainable alternative to disposable pads for the women of India as well as setting up self sustaining initiatives in cloth pad production for women from the neighbouring villages 4 5 All commercially sold pads are organically certified under GOTS 7 and Eco Femme is the first in this space to have achieved this certification 8 The cloth pads are mostly made out of organic cotton 9 10 and can last up to 75 washes 8 or for three to five years from the time of purchasing 11 These pads are sold in more than 20 countries across the world 7 By 2022 Eco Femme has distributed over 1 million cloth pads which consequently saved more than 75 million single use disposable pads from reaching landfills 7 12 8 Eco Femme enables women and girls to make educated decisions about their menstrual health in India and around the world by creating a dialogue around menstruation and offering education in menstrual literacy 13 14 They run two initiatives to enable free or affordable access to cloth pads These include Pad for Pad which provides an Indian adolescent girl with a free cloth pad kit for every pad sold internationally 11 15 Their Pads for Sisters programme provides subsidised pads to economically disadvantaged women 11 Eco Femme has different partners across India including 80 NGOs and 150 retailers 12 Eco Femme has been recognised for these efforts by different institutions 16 It aims to encourage ecological and social transformation by revitalising menstrual practices that are empowering ecologically sustainable culturally sensitive and healthy for the user 17 Eco Femme has also conducted training programs on how to stitch cloth pads to support income generation and local livelihood for rural women 18 15 It also creates instructional materials teaches facilitators provides consulting services and uses writing filmmaking and public speaking to advocate for non polluting menstruation practises 19 Reception editThe Huffington Post listed Eco Femme as one of the 15 Indian Businesses That Deserve Your Custom For Promoting Sustainability 20 It has also been named as one of the 5 Social Impact Startups Revolutionising Feminine Care Across Asia by the Green Queen 21 It won crQlr s Menstruation Sustainability Prize in 2022 for being a pioneer in menstrual education in India 8 and enabling women and girls to make informed decisions about their menstrual health through their non profit programs 8 Eco Femme also won the Restore Awards in 2022 for their health products 22 Eco Femme in Media editEco Femme has been featured on different podcasts 23 24 where they have discussed their mission to provide sustainable menstrual products and education to women in India and beyond 24 References edit Dutt Bahar 9 October 2014 Three grassroots projects that Modi s Clean India campaign can learn from Quartz Retrieved 2022 01 13 8 Low Cost And Eco Friendly Ideas Which Have Revolutionized Women s Sanitary Hygiene In India The Better India 2014 05 28 Retrieved 2022 01 13 Statements of Support UNESCO Auroville auroville org Retrieved 2022 01 13 a b c Sreedharan Divya 2012 10 13 The Changemakers The Hindu ISSN 0971 751X Retrieved 2022 01 13 a b How Eco Femme began making cloth pads cool again from a village near Pondicherry Edex Live Retrieved 2022 01 13 The Goan Village Women Helping Mitigate Plastic Pollution by Making Eco friendly Sanitary Pads Inter Press Service 2020 06 30 Retrieved 2022 05 09 a b c www twinkl co in https www twinkl co in blog menstrual hygiene day period charities making a difference in india Retrieved 2022 08 28 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help a b c d e Organic Reusable Cloth Pads for Circular Economy and Access to Sustainable Menstruation for All Winners crQlr 2022 crqlr com in Japanese Retrieved 2023 01 08 The best eco friendly sanitary brands worth trying now Vogue Singapore Beauty Body Wellness Vogue Singapore 2021 01 05 Retrieved 2022 05 09 Our Favourite Eco Friendly Menstrual Products Good On You 2020 02 23 Retrieved 2022 05 09 a b c Eco Femme Impacting Health Sustainability and Women Empowerment with a Simple Product Global Innovation Path 2020 01 20 Retrieved 2022 05 09 permanent dead link a b Chaudhry Avani 2022 09 15 Sustainable Menstruation A Personal Step By Step Guide To Making DIY Cloth Pads Feminism in India Retrieved 2022 10 11 Gerald Olympia Shilpa 2014 05 29 Breaking myths and taboos The Hindu ISSN 0971 751X Retrieved 2022 01 13 Five First Steps To Take To Lead A Sustainable Lifestyle femina in Retrieved 2022 05 09 a b 4 Organizations Supporting BIWOC MOUJAMOON Archived from the original on 2022 11 30 Retrieved 2023 01 08 SRM University presented Women Pacesetter Awards Retrieved 2022 01 13 Interview with Ecofemme India based women led social enterprise Pacific Roots Magazine Retrieved 2022 01 13 Kigwema women train in making sanitary pads pickle Eastern Mirror easternmirrornagaland com 2 March 2020 Retrieved 2022 05 09 Good Market www goodmarket global Retrieved 2022 08 28 15 Indian Businesses That Deserve Your Custom For Promoting Sustainability HuffPost 2015 06 04 Retrieved 2022 01 13 5 Social Impact Startups Revolutionising Feminine Care Across Asia Green Queen 2019 12 09 Retrieved 2022 01 13 The Restore Awards 2022 Winners RachnaRestores Retrieved 2023 01 08 Cycles Connection to the Body and the Earth with Kathy Walkling retrieved 2023 04 10 a b A safe space amp a sustainable period w EcoFemme 2023 03 08 retrieved 2023 04 10 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eco Femme amp oldid 1219027749, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
