Wā Collective Brings Menstrual Cups to the People of NZ
Wā Collective Brings Menstrual Cups to the People of
New Zealand
To coincide with yesterday’s
International Women’s Day, social enterprise Wā
Collective launched their menstrual cups nationwide,
furthering their mission of ending New Zealand’s ‘period
poverty’.
Founder Olie Body started the company in
June 2017 after a survey of 1,000 students in Wellington
showed that one-third of menstruators had skipped class
because they did not have access to menstrual
products.
“That survey blew us away, we had no idea
the scale of the problem,” says Body. She describes
‘period poverty’ as a result of socio-economic issues
like financial hardship, the housing shortage and
inflation.
For every Wā cup purchased (RRP $49) the
cost to a student will be subsidized to $15.
With 100%
medical grade silicone, an ethical and zero waste production
facility and a lifespan of 10 years, this makes a
student’s cost of menstrual products $1.50 per year,
compared to an average $100 - $300.
“Our
partnerships with Victoria and Massey Universities in
Wellington, Massey University campuses in Palmerston North
and Albany, and Lincoln University in Canterbury have been
key to accessing students directly through associations and
campus health services.”
To date Wā Collective has
sold 300 cups, saving students $26,000 in menstrual costs
per year and preventing 72,000 disposable products from
entering our landfills in 2018.
"It's a great
initiative tailored to the needs of young people who are
struggling financially and juggling a lot. It's a small
contribution but makes a huge difference especially in the
long run," says a student who participated in a recent
survey.
Later this year, Wā Collective are looking to
partner with other organisations to bring subsidised cups to
a range of vulnerable groups and communities around the
country.
“It’s a win-win for our people and our
environment,” says Body, who in 2014 lived in India and
helped establish initial training for women in rural West
Bengal to make their own menstrual products.
As of 08
March 2018, Wā Cups will be stocked in a number of online
and physical retailers.
For more information on where
to purchase a cup of your own, visit www.wacollective.org.nz
ends