Taboos, period poverty, and indestructible optimism with Emily Au-Young from Reemi
Garment workers in Bangladesh being interviewed by Reemi’s local partners. Image credits: Reemi
In Bangladesh, approximately 80-95% of women don’t use sanitary products because they are unaffordable or inaccessible. Instead, many women use cloth or torn sari known as ‘nekra’. Another study reported that 73% of Bangladeshi factory workers missed an average of six days of work per month (resulting in unpaid days) due to infections caused by unhygienic menstrual cloth or rags.
When Emily and her co-founder Ashleigh discovered these shocking facts, they felt compelled to take action and be part of the conversation. They launched Reemi, a social enterprise that develops self-sterilizing period underwear for every menstruator.
100% of their profits go towards their groundbreaking research on menstrual health management in garment factories and support their product innovation for garment workers in Bangladesh. Their current solutions include a high-tech period underwear with smart technology and wash and dry bags that ensure hygiene and are culturally appropriate.
To celebrate Fashion Revolution Week 2021, we spoke to Emily about Reemi’s research, what she’s learned from running a social enterprise and why slow and steady is better for people and planet.
ReCreate was started to provide women of the Dey Tmey community skills and employment opportunities. Image credits: ReCreate
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting Reemi?
Wow, there are so many things. I’d say the key thing is having a collaborative spirit because we can’t solve these issues on our own. At Reemi, we’re big fans of having deep partnerships with organisations. I think a lot of brands like to do light collaborations and stamp their brand name on it but the way we work with our partners is on a different, deeper level. And it’s worthwhile to have those concrete partnerships. We’re currently partnering with manufacturing companies, local businesses, The University of Munich, several humanitarian organisations, and we’re being funded by a body in the United Kingdom. So there’s a lot of moving pieces but it’s been so worthwhile to have different insights and input into our project.
Reemi conducts their research by getting women to share their stories and experiences.
Image credits: Reemi
What has surprised you most from the findings of your research?
Hmm, what can I share? It’s tricky to know what to share before the results get published. I can tell you that so far, nothing has been truly surprising in terms of social norms around how people view and deal with menstruation. Right now, we’re unpacking lots of obstacles and diving into what are the prohibiting factors that are preventing people from having access to menstrual hygiene management, which includes menstrual products and education.
I think one of the misconceptions surrounding “accessibility” is that affordability is the only issue. People think if you give someone a product for free, you’ve done what you can to solve the problem. But the truth is, menstrual health is such a taboo topic, it’s important that we understand the cultural obstacles so we can produce appropriate solutions. There was a program in Bangladesh that wanted to give out 200,000 menstrual cups straight away, but if you knew anything about the culture in Southeast Asia, you’ll know that you can’t just give out menstrual cups to people because it requires insertion and that can be inappropriate. Even in New Zealand, there are a lot of cultural reasons for why some people don’t want to use cups and it’s important to unpack each layer beyond financial reasons.
We recently finished a virtual education series with 227 garment workers. The way we conduct our sessions is by asking them lots of questions and getting women to share their experiences rather than a boring, one-way lecture which won’t be as successful. So by getting people to share their own stories and experiences, we’ve been able to stumble upon some good insights.
After learning the shocking truth about menstrual health in Bangladesh, best friends Ashleigh and Emily decided to take action. Image credits: Reemi
Did you encounter any challenges when you first embarked on this research project?
Thankfully we haven’t had any issues with shyness or people not wanting to talk. We’ve conducted lots of different discussion groups and even though it’s a taboo subject, women want to know about their own bodies. Since they know they’re in a safe environment, they are more willing to share their stories. I mean, who doesn’t love a good period yarn about that time they stained their pants! These are stories we can look back at and laugh about, as embarrassing or horrifying as they were when they happened.
I think unpacking the different myths around menstruation has been really interesting. One woman said she views her period as a positive thing because when her friends stopped getting them, their eyesight went bad. So she said her period “cleansed” her eyes. In reality, poor eyesight actually correlates with age and menopause, but it was interesting that she made that connection, even if it wasn’t scientifically correct.
We have definitely experienced issues talking to women about their menstruation particularly if men find out about it because it is such a sensitive subject. In the future, I would love to do an education program with men. Particularly in a culture where women don’t have as much control over their spending power, it’s important to empower men in that space as well.
“I think one of the misconceptions surrounding “accessibility” is that affordability is the whole issue. People think if you give someone a product for free, you’ve done what you can to solve the problem. But the truth is, menstrual health is such a taboo topic, it’s important that we understand the cultural obstacles so we can produce appropriate solutions. ”
Is there a particular memory or moment during your research that stood out to you?
If I’m being honest, the process has been a little painful. We were supposed to do this a year ago and we got extremely delayed because of Covid-19. I was actually supposed to be there in person to work closely with everyone and conduct our interviews so it's been tough doing everything over Zoom. But major hats off to our local partners for doing so well and keeping everything afloat. Bangladesh is currently in lockdown this week so just the fact that our partners have been working around Covid-19 has stood out to me more than anything.
We have the privilege of being in New Zealand with a great elimination strategy so we haven't experienced Covid-19 like the rest of the world. But our local partners and garment workers have had to keep working; they don’t have the choice to shut down because the economic cost is so high. Plus, for many of them it’s a precarious situation to be in and they are caught between going to work to feed their families or risk potentially getting Covid. They have strict measures and guidelines in place to keep everyone safe but it’s still been very challenging. So I think the resilience of our partners have stood out to me more than anything else.
One pair of Reemi’s self-sterilizing undies can hold up to two regular tampons worth of blood. Image credits: Reemi
What does the Fashion Revolution movement mean to you as an ethical business owner?
Oh, so many things! As a brand that conducts our own research, we have a great insight into all of the ethical issues that garment workers face because we have spent so much time in factories and have had the privilege of hearing their stories.
Fashion Revolution is such an important subject because fast fashion is an intersection of so many of the social issues we’re facing right now. The biggest intersection is climate change, since fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Then you’re looking at race and privilege with what cultures are having to carry out the work versus the people who receive the products. You’re also looking at capitalism and our overconsumption of goods.
Finally, there is the impact of social media and this culture of vanity where we need to constantly be seen in something different. That whole culture is definitely perpetuated in ways that we subconsciously don't even realise. So I think the discussion around these challenges, especially surrounding race, is lacking but these are the key social issues happening right now. That’s why Fashion Revolution is a super important movement because it impacts all of us in a different way. We either benefit from it or we are affected by it.
Reemi wants to make sure that every menstruator has access to menstrual health education and sustainable menstrual products. Image credits: Reemi
How do you think the New Zealand fashion industry has evolved since Fashion Revolution?
I take my hat off to the New Zealand fashion industry because I think we are doing a lot more than many are countries and cultures are. The awareness in New Zealand is quite high which is pretty incredible and there are many organisations here that have been actively trying to improve their supply chain systems. In fact, we haven’t had the full impact of giant fast fashion brands for that long. We have our own Kiwi fast fashion brands but they don't have the same scale and impact as the really big brands.
I think organisations like fair&good and Tearfund have been influential in terms of knowing what’s a good brand to support. I think Tearfund’s Ethical Fashion Guide has single handedly created enough press about the issue which is probably the biggest asset. Brands have responded so well to that and are actually becoming more transparent about their processes. Obviously, we still have a long way to go but the point is that we're on this journey and we’re being honest about where we are.
Apart from shopping ethical fashion, how can consumers be part of the Fashion Revolution movement?
Such a good question! I think it's enlightening to see consumers doing their research on brands. At Reemi, we’re certainly getting a lot more questions about our products which I love. It’s important to dig a little deeper and understand how to differentiate between a brand that is greenwashing and one that is working towards improving themselves. Another great way for people to get involved is to buy less stuff and buy better quality. It’s way more sustainable and ethical to choose products that will last longer and it’s also great for your wallet! People should continue to ask questions and think about what it means to be a conscious consumer. Using trusted guides are really important because most people don’t know which brands are ethical or not so it’s good to know they can rely on people who have already done the hard work.
Despite the pressure to grow quickly, Emily is intentional about going slow and steady with Reemi
What’s next for Reemi?
Ah, the big question. Later this year, we plan to launch more designs of our period underwear which is really exciting. Our research project is also a big piece that we’re working on this year. We’re looking to make our underwear and wash and dry bags more accessible to women in Bangladesh so once we receive the results of our study we can make a more informed decision about how to go about that. I’m really excited to be moving past the research and product development stage, even though it never really ends and you wanna be constantly learning. When we started Reemi, we were very intentional that the first few years would be a learning space for us to meet with garment workers, understand the cultural aspects and make tweaks to get our product right. But we hope to work with more factories by the end of the year.
How has running an ethical business shaped who you are today?
I’m certainly very intentional about my spending. If I buy something, I usually have a very strong opinion about why I needed it. But I guess patience is a big thing that I’ve learned throughout this process because you can’t get everything perfect. For instance, the waterproof part of our Reemi underwear is not made of sustainable material but we are very honest about it and talk about how we plan to improve it. I think it’s important to know that you can’t get everything right off the bat but as long as there is an intention to improve and do it better, that’s great. Being kind to yourself is also important, especially because there can be a lot of pressure to grow quickly when you’re starting out and growth is seen as this standard of success. But I try to remind myself that it’s better to go slow and steady.
“You have to know that what you’re doing is important, even if it means transforming one life” - Emily. Image credit: Reemi
What gets you up in the morning?
Coffee! I’m currently working on Bangladesh time so I’ve been struggling to wake up in the morning because I work so late. More seriously, though, I think I’m a deeply optimistic person. I think if you’re working in a non-profit or in any industry that is centred around helping others, you need to have a degree of indestructible optimism to truly believe that you can create change. Particularly because the industry we’re in is ever-changing, it can be very difficult if you haven’t got an almost unreal sense of optimism. You have to know that what you’re doing is important, even if it means transforming one life. I’m also grateful for having such incredible brand partners who care as much about this entire project as I do.
What are you reading/watching/listening to right now?
Gosh, I read so many books in 2020, I’m seriously thinking of hosting a book club! I recently finished reading Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas and would highly recommend that. It provides a good overview on the history and fundamentals of fashion and it's a great read for people who want to understand how fast fashion came to be. I’m also listening to my favourite podcast called Your Girlfriend. It’s about two best friends who live in different countries and they deep dive into serious issues but also have lots of lighthearted banter.
