Every human on Earth has come from a person with a uterus and each month, more than two billion of them menstruate. And yet, an estimated 500 - 800 million women cannot afford period products.
Period poverty, as defined by the UN is the “inability to afford and access menstrual products, sanitation and hygiene facilities and education and awareness to manage menstrual health”. It’s been called a “neglected public health issue” and it’s happening everywhere.
Recent data (2024) from Share the Dignity indicates that 83 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and 78 per cent of women with a disability struggle to afford to buy period products.
A reported 64 per cent of Australians have trouble affording period products each month.
For Eloise Hall, co-founder of Adelaide-based social enterprise, TABOO, these numbers were a “wake-up call”.
“Period poverty is extremely common in Australia,” she says.
“Data published by the Commissioner for Children and Young People in 2021 showed that one in five girls in South Australia were missing out on school because they can’t access period products.”
The impacts are far-ranging and sometimes lethal.
“When you can't access period products, often you don't go to school or work or take part in social activities,” Eloise explains.
“People are using items like sponges and socks instead of pads or tampons, or other menstrual health products, which can increase the risk of infection or developing avoidable menstrual health complications, such as bacterial vaginosis or UTIs.
“A doctor at Royal Adelaide Hospital’s ICU once told me they saw three women die from sepsis that year because they were using a tampon for too long. We find that often it’s because people can’t afford to buy more, so they stretch out the life of that product for as long as they can, ignoring, or ignorant to the risks of toxic shock syndrome.”
Early start
Eloise founded TABOO during high school with her friend, Isobel Marshall, after learning about social enterprise models.
“We were inspired by the model of social enterprise,” Eloise says. “It’s a beautiful tool you can use to sell people things they're going to buy anyway and use the profits to contribute to impactful causes you really care about,” Eloise says.
“We were 17 and 18 when we started. We had no money of our own, but we had a vision, and we knew we needed to raise about $50,000 to buy our first batch of high-quality period products to sell in Australia.”
A successful crowdfunding campaign, a committed group of volunteers and a lot of “sweat equity” helped TABOO get off the ground. Online sales were strong, and TABOO’s range of pads and tampons were soon stocked in National Pharmacies and On The Run. Now, with a focus on selling products direct to businesses, TABOO’s products can be found in more than 150 organisations including Local Government community centres, businesses, aquatic/leisure and recreational centres and hospitality venues.
Eloise is quick to add that TABOO’s development and growth has been elevated by its environmental credentials.
“TABOO is the only product of its kind in Australia that has Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification on our high quality, organic cotton range,” she explains.
“We're also totally plastic free, with our tampons wrapped in paper and pads wrapped in bio-plastic, unlike most alternative products in the market both being made of, and packaged in plastic."
Extending its social impact, TABOO’s Pad it Forward program uses a ‘pay-it-forward’ model where people can purchase products for as little as $7 per month, on behalf of someone experiencing, or at risk of period poverty. With support from The Hospital Research Foundation, the program distributes free period products through 23 community partners across Australia including homelessness and domestic violence services as well as menstrual health education and training.
TABOO’s business sales and social impact have grown steadily over the last five years, and Eloise has won a range of honours including Entrepreneur of the Year (EY), Woman of the Year Rising Star Award (The Advertiser), a Social Change Fellow (Westpac) and was named one of InDaily’s 40 under 40. She has held board roles at the Adelaide Economic Development Agency Advisory and the South Australian Social Enterprise Council (which she chaired), and currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Robinson Research Institute.
Catalytic investment
One of the challenges of scaling the enterprise further has been lengthy product manufacturing lead times and the cash flow required to continue securing contracts with some of Australia’s biggest and most iconic businesses.
After learning about The Wyatt Trust’s Catalytic Local Investment Fund (CLIF) through the South Australian Social Enterprise Council, Eloise applied for, and was successful in receiving, a $100,000 investment.
The Catalytic Local Investment Fund, which launched in 2024, is one way The Wyatt Trust is using all its resources to reduce poverty in South Australia. The Fund provides debt financing and patient capital to SA-based businesses, social enterprises or not-for-profits that are helping people and planet, intentionally prioritising purpose over business structure.
Stacey Thomas, CEO of The Wyatt Trust, says the investment in TABOO was a clear and compelling opportunity to support positive impact.
“TABOO is a business with a clear mission that prioritises health and sustainability, while also educating and raising awareness about period poverty, contributing to a wellbeing economy,” Stacey says.
The investment comes at a strategic time for the business, Eloise says.
“The CLIF investment has been a perfect accelerator for us, in that we've been able to invest in more stock, allowing us to onboard bigger clients with confidence we have the capacity to fulfil their ongoing orders.”
“Wyatt’s support has already been transformative in our capacity to take advantage of the commercial opportunities that we have ahead of us.”
Breaking the taboo
One of the biggest hurdles Eloise works to overcome every day is the stigma surrounding menstruation.
“When we started TABOO, a lot of people would blush from head to toe when we started talking about periods,” she says. “Our bold and brave campaigns break down the stigma surrounding periods, and consequently, we’ve had push back from publishers and social media platforms telling us the ads are too confronting, but we have to push that boundary if we’re ever going to destigmatise menstruation and make it an accessible topic.”
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“Period poverty is fuelled by stigma and the conversations that need to happen aren’t being had, because the topic isn't ‘socially palatable'.”
Eloise has no plans to stop pushing boundaries. In fact, her goal is to have period products become as ubiquitous as toilet paper.
“Our vision is that one day, wherever you go and wherever there is toilet paper, there are also period products. We want period products to be just as accessible to everyone.”
Want your workplace to stock period products? Visit Bloody
Important Conversation
to anonymously nominate your employer to supply period products in the workplace. TABOO will have the conversation on your behalf.
You can also purchase or subscribe to TABOO products via the website.
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Images:
Eloise Hall by Flashpoint Labs
TABOO by Tess Newton
