Interview with Josie from Necesse.

We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Josie from Necesse. through our collaboration with them recently. Necesse. is a social enterprise aiming to provide a service for the to-your-door delivery of organic tampons, with every purchase resulting in a donation to at risk women through their charitable partners.

1. When did you become passionate about organic products and why?

 

I’ve always been interested in the origins of the food I eat, the beauty products I use and the clothes I wear, so it made sense to source our tampons from an organic supplier when we began Necesse. I think people are starting to realise their purchasing power, and are looking to choose goods and services that are not only high quality but also have a social responsibility. 

2. Why did you choose to partner with Aviva?

 

When we were looking for a charity partner we knew we wanted to pair up with a local organisation that had similar values. Aviva focus on providing services to women and families exposed to violence or financial hardship, often through collaborating with other amazing organisations such as START, Family Help Trust, and Link People. 

3. What inspired you to start Necesse?

 

We started Necesse when we realised there were women and young girls in NZ who were going without period products each month, and as a result were missing school/work or resulting to unsafe means in order to manage their periods. We wanted to create a channel that other women could use to directly help out!

4. What’s your goals and plans for the growth of Necesse? What do you want the main outcome to be?

 

We are planning to expand our range to cover different period products such as menstrual cups and sustainable pads, because we know each woman is different! We’re also hoping to bring on board a new charity partner in the North Island, so we can expand our reach in terms of donations.

5. Do you think there should be a shift in conversations around periods? 

 

Most definitely! If roughly 50% of our population has had a period in their lives, why should it be this taboo topic? I think we should start looking for ways we can support women more, and initiatives such as working from home during your period or giving out tampons in staff bathrooms is what employers should look to get behind.

6. What are the benefits of using organic tampons over regular tampons?

 

Organic tampons are tampons made from organic cotton, so this means when they’re grown there are no harsh herbicides and pesticides. Not only does this lead to a tampon less likely to irritate your skin, but it also means less chemical leaching for the environment during cotton growing. Organic tampons are also biodegradable as opposed to synthetic tampons, so they breakdown in landfills or even in your compost bin.

7. What does a feminist mean to you?

Being a feminist to me means supporting the equality of all genders! It’s also raising up the women around you and supporting them to reach their goals, rather than competing against them.

8. What’s your hope for women as a collective gender for our generation and the generations to come?

 

I hope that generation by generation we get more women leaders and role models so that in time we no longer imagine a boss/doctor/president as male, and we’re able to breakdown unconscious bias. I also hope that businesses as a whole become more socially responsible and become active members in our communities.