No one should have to choose between dignity and basic needs.
In this confronting and necessary episode, we sit down with Rochelle Courtenay, the force behind Share the Dignity, the charity that changed how Australia talks about period poverty.

What began as a single “check your privilege” moment became a national movement, shifting policy, smashing stigma, and restoring dignity to hundreds of thousands of women and girls.

We talk honestly about:

• The hidden reality of period poverty in Australia
• How lack of access impacts education, mental health, and self-worth
• What it really takes to turn personal outrage into systemic change

This isn’t a feel-good charity chat.
It’s a wake-up call, and a masterclass in how one woman’s refusal to stay silent is reshaping a country.

Show Note:

Rochelle’s personal journey and the inspiration behind Share the Dignity @ 0:00

Rochelle shares how learning about period poverty in Australia was a “checkmate your privilege” moment for her, as she had never realized that access to period products was not a given for everyone. This realization, combined with her own experiences with endometriosis and the lack of education around menstruation, motivated her to start Share the Dignity to ensure all women and girls have access to essential period products with dignity.

The impact of period poverty on women and girls @ 5:28

Rochelle explains how the lack of access to period products can significantly impact a woman or girl’s life, leading to isolation, missed school or work, and feelings of shame and low self-worth. She emphasizes the need to remove the stigma and shame around menstruation through education and advocacy.

Share the Dignity’s programs and advocacy efforts @ 8:04

Rochelle discusses Share the Dignity’s key initiatives, including the biannual Dignity Drives to collect and distribute period products, the “It’s in the Bag” program to provide holiday gift bags to women in need, and the organization’s advocacy work to push for free period product access in schools, workplaces, and public spaces across Australia.

The power of data and the Bloody Big Survey @ 31:20

Rochelle shares how Share the Dignity’s Bloody Big Survey, which has collected over 150,000 responses, has provided critical data to support their advocacy efforts and push for systemic change around period poverty. She emphasizes the importance of this data in engaging with government and driving real policy shifts.

Rochelle’s personal growth and advice for her younger self @ 40:59

Reflecting on her journey, Rochelle shares the wisdom she would impart to her 18-year-old self – to not care what others think and to embrace her own worth, as this has been key to her ability to create meaningful change through Share the Dignity.

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