Jeannie McGillivray, a tech entrepreneur and CEO at Remote, has joined forces with Dr Zareen Roohi Ahmed from Gift Wellness to start a big conversation on what is still a very taboo subject in the workplace. The simple fact is that from early teens, the female body menstruates. Every. Single. Month. The fact that employers, even those who view themselves as forward-thinking, good employers, don't generally have policies and processes to acknowledge and accommodate the menstrual cycle or provide sanitary products to their staff members. And they're on a mission to change that.

Business leaders who don't provide free and easy access to sanitary products aren't bad employers. It just doesn't occur to them. They don't realise there's a genuine need. So, Jeannie and Zareen have created an initiative that makes it quick, easy and affordable for all businesses to genuinely become female-friendly workplaces on International Women's Day and beyond. 

The initiative aims to help business leaders to understand the impact menstruation has on life in education and at work, raise awareness about period poverty and provide free sanitary products to women in crisis. Taking one small, simple action that will take no more than ten minutes, will continue to have a big, ongoing impact.

Jeannie and Zareen's plan is simple. They are providing a mechanism for business leaders to purchase plastic-free sanitary products from Gift Wellness on subscription and provide them free to their female team members. By doing so, businesses not only prove they are female-friendly workplaces, they improve the well-being and productivity of their employees, increase their talent retention rate and stand out from their competitors at the same time. 

Simply purchasing products from Gift Wellness, business leaders will enable Zareen's foundation, The Gift Wellness Foundation, to provide free menstrual products to homeless and refugee women in the UK and worldwide, contributing to a global effort to end period poverty. 

Period poverty is a global issue that affects millions of women, girls, and menstruating individuals in the UK and worldwide. The lack of access to menstrual products and hygienic spaces often leads to shame and stigma, posing a significant health risk and hindering education, productivity, and livelihoods. The Gift Wellness Foundation has been working towards ending period poverty since 2013 and has donated over 6 million sanitary pads to women in crisis. With the support of business leaders like those joining Jeannie and Zareen's initiative, they aim to end period poverty by 2030. 

As businesses look for ways to support their employees' well-being, Jeannie and Zareen's initiative offers a practical and effective solution that helps a vital cause. Taking part in the initiative is easy and affordable, and it can significantly impact the lives of female employees and women in crisis worldwide.

The benefits of creating a female-friendly workplace are not limited to addressing period poverty - though that's a pretty amazing cause to get involved in, right? It is well documented that providing female employees with the right resources, support, and opportunities increases productivity and better workplace morale.

In addition to creating a female-friendly workplace, businesses joining this initiative will contribute to sustainability efforts. The plastic-free sanitary products from Gift Wellness are eco-friendly, meaning businesses will do their part in protecting the environment while supporting women's health.

By joining Jeannie and Zareen's initiative to address period poverty and support women's health, businesses can also demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility in a very real way - taking responsibility for their impact on society and the environment, beyond just their financial performance.

Addressing period poverty and supporting women's health is an example of a social issue that businesses can play a big role in addressing. By supporting this initiative, businesses can show that they are not only focused on their bottom line but also care about social issues and the impact of their operations on the wider community. This can help to build a positive image for the business, increase brand loyalty, and attract socially conscious customers and employees.

Join us in changing lives by showing your team, customers and the world you have a female-friendly workplace whilst providing free menstrual products to homeless and refugee women. 

Simply set up a subscription for the plastic-free sanitary products from Gift Wellness, and the foundation will do the rest. 

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