Every year in Australia, the non-profit (and government owned) National Australia Day Council gives several awards: Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero. The awards are meant to serve as “a focal point for Australia Day celebrations and a forum for the recognition of outstanding achievement.” (What is Australia Day, you ask? It’s complicated. See here.)
In any case this year’s “Young Australian of the Year” is Isobel Marshall, a student at the University of Adelaide who created an organic menstrual product company called TABOO. 100% of the company’s net profits go to charity. Here is Ms. Marshall’s official bio provided by the National Australia Day Council:
image source: canberra times
At just 18 years of age, Isobel Marshall co-founded TABOO with school friend Eloise Hall, to help women around the world by breaking down stigma around menstruation and providing greater access to hygiene products.
Isobel and business partner Eloise, crowdfunded $56,000 to launch their range of products in August 2019. TABOO sells high quality, ethically sourced, organic cotton pads and tampons to an Australian market, with 100 per cent of net profits going to One Girls – a charity providing education programs for girls and women in Sierra Leone and Uganda.
Locally, Isobel and TABOO have partnered with Vinnies Women’s Crisis centre, providing free access to pads and tampons for women who require emergency accommodation in South Australia. Recognising period poverty is not just a big city issue, they also support the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council.
More info about Ms. Marshall is here. Incidentally, the 2021 winners in all four categories— Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero–are all women.
