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HomeFeature ArticlePodcast #134 Rochelle Courtenay | Share the Dignity, How One Woman's Mission...

Podcast #134 Rochelle Courtenay | Share the Dignity, How One Woman’s Mission is Changing Lives

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Rochelle Courtenay, founder of Share The Dignity – the groundbreaking Australian charity fighting period poverty and supporting women in crisis. In this powerful episode, Rochelle shares how reading about women using socks and newspapers for menstruation led her to create an organisation that’s now collected over 5 million period products and successfully advocated for the removal of GST on period products.

Learn about Share The Dignity’s annual “It’s in the Bag” campaign running November 15th – December 1st at Bunnings stores nationwide. This initiative provides essential personal care items to women and girls experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or facing crisis. Rochelle shares touching stories of how a simple bag of necessities and a heartfelt note can provide hope and dignity to someone in desperate need.

Discover how you can make a difference by donating a bag filled with essential items, volunteering, or spreading awareness. Whether it’s a bag for women, teenagers, or moms with babies – every contribution helps someone in your local community. As Rochelle says, “You never know who that bag is going to go to and you never know the impact.”

Join the movement and help Share The Dignity reach their goal of 85,000 bags this year. Drop off your donation at any Bunnings store and, as Rochelle suggests, “Drop a bag and grab a snag!”

Rochelle Courtenay
Rochelle Courtenay

Rochelle Courtenay, affectionately known as the 'Pad Lady', is the founder and Managing Director of Share the Dignity, a national charity dedicated to providing dignity to women, girls, and those who menstruate across Australia[1]. In March 2015, moved by the plight of homeless women struggling to manage their periods, Rochelle took action by collecting and distributing sanitary items to local shelters[1]. This simple act of compassion grew into a nationwide movement, with Share the Dignity now boasting over 6,000 volunteers and multiple initiatives aimed at addressing period poverty[1]. Rochelle's journey to becoming a champion for women's dignity is marked by personal challenges, including experiences with domestic violence and a period of incarceration, which ultimately shaped her resilience and deepened her empathy for women in need[1]. Her leadership has led to the collection and distribution of millions of period products, and she continues to advocate for menstrual equity, pushing for free period products in schools, universities, workplaces, and public spaces across Australia[3]. Citations: [1] https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/about/founder [2] https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/about/founder [3] https://primer.com.au/moment-that-changed-everything-share-the-dignity-rochelle-courteney/ [4] https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/northern-territorys-remote-communities-way-behind-on-menstrual-health-says-share-the-dignity-founder/news-story/278527ddd60ec9405a5bddba60be114c [5] https://au.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-courtenay-6769156b [6] https://www.impactboom.org/blog/2023/06/1/rochelle-courtenay-on-period-poverty-and-creating-dignified-community-movements

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