Ep 72 – Rochelle Courtenay: Share the Dignity: Ending Period Poverty

Apr 19, 2021

Helping girls and women handle periods with dignity

Having a period is just as normal as breathing.

However, to girls and women who don’t have access to safe and sanitary menstrual products, that time of the month is an absolute nightmare.

And this ordeal is an ongoing issue that’s happening all around the world.

It’s called period poverty – and it stops girls and women from managing their menstruation with dignity.

Thankfully, there are people out there who are dedicated to supporting those in need.

And one of them is Rochelle Courteney – the founder of Share The Dignity and today’s podcast guest. Rochelle is sharing the sad reality around period poverty and highlighting ways you can get involved with the cause.

Let’s get started!

ABOUT ROCHELLE COURTENAY

Nicknamed ‘The Pad Lady’, Rochelle Courtenay is a woman on a mission to end period poverty, and break the silence and stigma that surrounds women and periods in Australia and globally.

She’s the Founder and Managing Director of Share the Dignity, a charity she started single-handedly in 2015 when she discovered that women in Australia had no access to period products during their menstrual cycle.

Share the Dignity started from a simple, grassroots idea of wanting to improve the lives of disadvantaged women, and Rochelle forged ahead on the belief that one person could indeed make a difference.

Along the way, her dedication inspired others to join in. Today, she leads a team of over 5500 volunteers determined to bring a ray of hope and light into the lives of homeless women and those fleeing from abuse and domestic violence.

Share the Dignity has donated over 2.8 million period products (over 37 million dollars’ worth) through multiple initiatives across Australia. Rochelle has also won recognition and accolades for her work including Finalist Australian of the Year, Cosmopolitan Humanitarian of the Year and Pride of Australia.

QUESTIONS ASKED:

• Could you please share more about why you started Share the Dignity?

• What was your biggest challenge when starting the charity – and how did you overcome it?

• What’s been the most rewarding aspect? Any particularly memorable stories to share?

• How do you go about the marketing side of things? What’s worked best and which methods failed?

• What’s one key action our listeners can take straightaway to start making a difference?

CONNECT WITH ROCHELLE

Website: www.sharethedignity.org.au
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rochelle-courtenay-6769156b

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