Eco Femme
Eco Femme is a women-led social enterprise in Tamil Nadu, India, that produces organic washable cloth pads. Eco Femme was founded in 2009 in Auroville (a UNESCO-backed coming-up city) by Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema who started by producing, applying and selling these washable menstrual pads in Auroville. They were interested in designing a sustainable alternative to disposable pads for the women of Auroville as well as setting up self sustaining initiatives in cloth pad production for women from the neighbouring villages. Eco Femme enables women and girls to make educated decisions about their menstrual  health in India and around the world by creating a dialogue around menstruation and offering education in menstrual literacy. It has been recognised for these efforts by different institutions. It aims to encourage ecological and social transformation by revitalising menstrual practices that are empowering, ecologically sustainable, culturally sensitive and healthy for the user. Reception. The Huffington Post listed Eco Femme as one of the “15 Indian Businesses That Deserve Your Custom For Promoting Sustainability". It has also been named as one of the “5 Social Impact Startups Revolutionising Feminine Care Across Asia” by the Green Queen.