The Cova Project, Kin Fertility and TABOO take aim at period poverty with activation at SXSW Sydney

At SXSW Sydney today, The Cova Project, Kin Fertility, and TABOO teamed up to create an eye-catching activation to help audiences confront the growing issue of period poverty in Australia and across the globe. The initiative, which featured a giant menstrual cup and giant tampon roaming the SXSW Sydney conference halls, aimed to spark conversation and action around menstrual equity.

The Seeing Red activation at the ICC (Darling Harbour) and Tumbalong Park, brought the issue of period poverty to the forefront of attendees’ minds. The oversized period products served as walking petitions, engaging with thousands of global innovators, influencers, and decision-makers with a powerful message from three of Australia’s most innovative women (Geena Dunne, Nicole Liu and Eloise Hall): “We’re Seeing Red, Are You?”

Watch Seeing Red film below

Period poverty refers to a lack of access to menstrual products, menstrual health education, and WASH facilities which affects 500 million menstruators worldwide. In Australia alone, 63% of menstruators struggle to afford period products. Globally, period poverty leads to school absenteeism, transactional sex for period products and increases the risk of child marriage, teen pregnancy and diminished self-worth.

The Cova Project, a charity dedicated to ending period poverty around the world, alongside Kin Fertility, a champion of women’s reproductive health, and the TABOO Foundation, which combats period poverty in Australia, have joined forces to bring attention to this critical issue and raise the funds needed to put an end to it.

Says Geena Dunne, founder of The Cova Project: “This is about more than raising awareness – it’s about showcasing how Australians can take meaningful action to end period poverty today. The Cova Project has ended period poverty for over 25,000 girls across Africa. A donation of just $25 can do that for a girl. If you believe that girls deserve access to a full and equal education, it’s step one towards achieving that.”

Says Nicole Liu, founder of Kin Fertility: “As a society, we have the means to end period poverty – it’s just a matter of bringing the conversation into the open and pushing for change. This activation is designed to be impossible to ignore, just like the issue of period poverty itself and Kin is so proud to be a part of that.”

Says Eloise Hall, co-founder of TABOO: “We’re ready to facilitate the change. And we’re excited to inspire SXSW attendees to become the ‘advocates for change’ that we need, to make a collective decision to end period poverty.”

For more information on how to get involved, or to support the fight against period poverty, visit https://www.seeingred.me/ or www.thecovaproject.com, www.kinfertility.com.au, and https://tabooau.co/pages/taboo-foundation