Intimately Organic: The Future of Body Products, by WoW London
In September we hosted our very first event on FemTech because we wanted to give women the stage and platform to discuss things that we don’t read enough about, things we don’t discuss enough because someone once told us that we shouldn’t discuss these topics in public.
Women just talking to one another is so powerful. Because we can learn so much from each other, from other women’s experiences and we can’t think of a more important topic than health.
2019 was the year we started talking more about period, fertility, endometriosis, mental health, and menopause. And it was about time!
Let’s make 2020 the year we talk AND act on these matters.
WoW started as a meetup group supporting women in emerging technologies, but health is something we all care about and we felt it was important to discuss things that matter to all women, regardless of the industry they’re coming from.
We wanted to explore the ways technology today is helping us to learn more about our bodies and inspiring us to live a healthier lifestyle, but we also wanted to meet (and support) some of the amazing companies here in the UK that are disrupting the market.
Our first event in that space was in September with Lina Chan from Adia Health, Paige Fashoni from FLUX Undies and Paljit Sohal from Frost and Sullivan.
We hosted our second event of the Women and Health series last month called Intimately Organic: The Future of Body Products at The Wing London.
After the organic revolution in food, fashion, and skincare, we wanted to discuss an organic revolution in menstrual and intimate products, and the importance of knowing what we put inside our bodies.
52% of women and girls globally are of reproductive age, which makes it around 1.9 billion people. But still, a massive taboo and stigma still surround the topic of menstruation.
A woman menstruates for about 7 years during their lifetime, and it takes an average of 7.5 years to diagnose endometriosis.
Conventional disposable menstrual products made from 90% plastic – along with their packaging generate 200,000 tonnes of waste per year.
48% of girls aged 14-21 in the UK are embarrassed by their periods, according to research led by girls’ rights charity Plan International UK.
We are so happy that we gathered four amazing women on stage to discuss women’s health: Celia Pool (co-founder of DAME), Sarah Welsh (co-founder of HANX), Tara Chandra (director of FLO), Fiona Bassett (marketing manager at TOTM) in the space we love so much - The Wing London.
We discussed the current situation on the market, what it was like starting a business for them and going “against” mainstream brands, and it was very interesting to hear their experience of pitching their products to investors.
We all agreed that education is very important when it comes to reading the label and understanding the ingredients on it so that we can make more informed decisions when it comes to the products we use and what we put inside our bodies.
Organic femcare is also more environmentally-friendly because it's made from plant-based materials grown without toxic pesticides so it was great to hear all these brands’ approaches to sustainability.
Not only are they kinder to our bodies, but they also look like they have been designed to be displayed on the bathroom shelf, rather than hidden away and we think that can definitely help normalise menstrual and sexual health because most of us still hide our tampons or pads we carry in our bags.
All the brands were kind enough to sample our guests with their products we assembled in our WoW tote bags. We chose “You are WoW” to be the message on our bags because we don’t compliment each other often enough so we wanted this to be a message to every woman who will see you carrying your WoW tote bag. There will be days when you doubt yourself and don’t think you are enough, let this bag be a reminder to you that you are wow. Today and every day.
For this event, we’ve partnered with Bloody Good Period, charity organization working to end period poverty by providing menstrual supplies for those who need them the most. Our guests had the possibility to support them by buying their merchandise, you can do so here.
We would like to use this opportunity to thank all The Wing members who joined us on the event, to The Wing team for inviting us and hosting us, and to our wonderful speakers who shared their time, knowledge and insights with us.
Photos: Chloe Winstanley for The Wing
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If you’re interested in speaking at or sponsoring our events and meetups, then get in touch via email at hello@womenofwearables.com.
ABOUT THE BRANDS
DAME is a sustainable period care brand behind the world’s first reusable tampon applicator and DAME organic tampons. DAME believes women deserve better so as a company they’re cleaning up the period industry, focusing on plastic waste, harsh chemicals and period shame.
HANX is smashing taboos around sex, pleasure and health, whilst empowering women to own their sexuality. HANX is the female-friendly condoms brand aiming to change the way women see, buy and use condoms.
FLO is a 'cheekily conscious' brand of natural feminine hygiene care. FLO's mission is healthier, eco-friendlier, adorabler femcare that gives back to local and global communities.
TOTM is an organic and sustainable period care brand that exists to drive positive change. TOTM wants to challenge negative attitudes towards menstruation and breaking taboos to build a period powerful future.
ABOUT OUR VENUE PARTNER:
The Wing is a growing community of women across the country and globe, gathering together to work, connect, and thrive. The Wing London opened its first international location in London in October 2019, you can read more about it here.
This blog was written by Anja Streicher, Chief Marketing Officer of Women of Wearables. She is passionate about women's health and supporting women in tech and business.