Celebratory period for International Women's Day
Happy Bloody Birthday to us! We’ve hit a million!!
Much like the power of our ovaries, firing on both cylinders, it's been a mighty magnificent year since our launch on International Women’s Day last year!
Thank you for getting us here, thank you for being part of our mahi (work).
Happy birthday to Wā Collective!
We’ve just hit one million!!
Today marks the day we just diverted one million disposable menstrual products from entering landfill. One Million. One year.
Tampons and pads take up to 500 years to decompose, needlessly clogging up our landfills (and bodies!) - costing us all.
We’ve also saved menstruators $350,000 that they would otherwise be spending on said tampons and pads. Yowsaz - take that period poverty.
We’ve catalysed tens of thousands of diverse conversations about periods, giving all genders permission to speak. This is so important because we are asking for a societal level change, in talking openly about periods, and that can’t happen when we speak to half the pop in isolation.
The Media has (finally) Chirped Up
When we first started trialling and validating our impact and business models, everyone we talked to got it. Like, really got it.
But, by cripes it was really difficult to get the media to listen. The conversation around period poverty was just beginning and menstrual cups were, tbh, still reserved for your slightly mad cousin Kaz.
We were told by the TVNZ Breakfast Show that “no one wants to deal with those awkward ‘birds and bees’ conversations”, all the while they ran stories on murder, sexual assault and greedy capitalism. From other outlets, we'd been told that they ran a story on periods a year ago, so “that was that”.
By kripes. We can tell you that is not that.
And then there were some who listened, and even more who are listening now, reflecting our community finally starting to grow up. We are flooded with joy by this!
You see, this socially constructed taboo is knocking us a peg back, just because we were born with a mighty pair of ovaries. And, that’s got some pretty crappy consequences.
The taboo is preventing us from understanding, knowing and accepting our bodies. It’s preventing us from addressing underlying issues such as period poverty, waste and health issues such as Endo and PCOS (often just waved off as ‘hun, periods just suck anyway’).
We are working with the peeps of Aotearoa
We’ve paired with 12 impact partners - from students’ associations to Women’s Health Collectives, offering both subsidised and free Wā Cups. Partnering with these spaces ensures cups are going to the right people and flowing out with education. A hand up, not a handout.
A huge shout-out to Nopesisters Clothing supporting us through their period tee (get one they are AMAZING!) & Elise and Gabriel Creative for their stunning photography.
Recently, 15 year old Mahina on Little Barrier Island is also making natural Swooping Tūī moisturisers for us, with every five sold, a Wā Cup is donated to an ovulator in need. Beyond amazing!! (email mahina.walle@tekura.org.nz to order).
We have Bathed in Recognition
This tickles us pink. In the last year, this happened to -
Gold Awards for Excellence in Business - Green Gold Finalist
Miss FQ Influencer Awards - Social Change Finalist
Deloitte Fast 50 - Regional Finalist
Sustainable Business Network Awards
- Communicating for Social Change - Winner
- Millennial on a Mission - Winner
- Runner up to Supreme Award
Our Wā Crew has blossomed
We started off with me, Luci, Suse and a couple of others chipping in where they could. We now have teams in Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland and Palmerston North. Fun, amazing, talented individuals who are beyond passionate about driving our purpose forward together. Queens!
And for our next cycle…
There is so much womb for more!
Look out world, we are as driven as ever. It's getting bold. Period poverty will be closer to being eradicated - we are a small country with a few awesome organisations working in this space sustainably, such as Days For Girls NZ. We have so got this.
Not only this, but we really are changing up the conversation big time - look out for us in a space near you.
...and we have a few new partnerships up our fallopian tubes too. ;)
As always, we bloody love you! If you ever want to be involved, sing out - we’ve got womb for all.
Aroha nui,
Olie Body,
Founder
Xxx
8th March 2019
