At 18 years old, Isobel Marshall and co-founder Eloise Hall crowdfunded $56,000 to kickstart TABOO Period Products; a social enterprise that sells high-quality certified organic cotton pads and tampons with all company profits dedicated to eradicating period poverty.
In her work with TABOO, Isobel's role focused on education, campaigning and advocacy with an aim to dismantle menstrual stigma and elevate the conversation of periods to create social and structural change. Through this work, Isobel developed a keen interest in start-ups and the power of social enterprise.
Current Work:
Isobel is part-way through her degree in Medicine at the University of Adelaide. Through various other roles, she is continuing to grow her passion for health advocacy and public health policy.
Note: For a Keynote Focused on TABOO, please refer to Eloise Hall, Co-Founder and Managing Director of TABOO.
Talking Points
Periods: a marker of gender inequality and global poverty
In this presentation, Isobel discusses the large-scale structural, social and cultural factors that influence an individual's experience of menstrual health and wellbeing in many different populations around the world. The intrinsic connection between period poverty and gender inequality is discussed, highlighting the way that both of these injustices perpetuate the poverty cycle.Periods: a marker of gender inequality and global poverty
Who this is for:
Audiences that seek to understand how a person's biology can negatively impact on their future, and the societal structures that facilitate these inequities.
Key Takeaways:
- The factors that contribute to period poverty
- The personal and large scale impacts of period poverty
- Period Poverty in Australia and globally
- How we, as individuals, corporations and communities can help to eradicate period poverty
Leadership and Entrepreneurship
This keynote follows Isobel's professional and personal learnings as she and her cofounder Eloise Hall planted and grew a social enterprise from just 18 years old. Leadership and Entrepreneurship
Isobel will discuss the leadership skills required to direct a group towards a shared mission, and explore entrepreneurship as an opportunity to challenge the norms around us. The role and responsibility of business and innovation is discussed and encouraged to be used as a tool to challenge injustice and provide practical support to social and environmental causes.
Who this is for:
Schools, Teachers, Educators, entrepreneurship/business groups, leadership summits
Key Takeaways:
- Encouragement that you are never too young or too old to be an entrepreneur
- Evidence and reasoning behind why having a clear purpose and mission is so important
- A toolkit for sustainable and effective leadership
Menstrual Healthcare and Education
The history of Reproductive Healthcare gives us an insight into the state and progression of gender equality over the decades.Menstrual Healthcare and Education
In this presentation, Isobel will discuss menstruation from a healthcare perspective, considering what has been overlooked in the past, and what we need to focus on now to ensure the menstrual health and wellbeing of all Australians.
Isobel will unpack how a good understanding of one's menstrual and reproductive health can support a menstruator in reaching their full potential, regardless of their biology.
Key Takeaways:
- Why it is so physically and mentally empowering for an individual to be in tune with their menstrual cycle and reproductive health.
- What needs to change as we teach menstrual healthcare and sex education
- Not everyone that bleeds is a woman, and not every woman bleeds
Video
A Menstrual Mindset | Isobel Marshall | TEDxUniAdelaide
Young Australian of the Year 2021 Isobel Marshall shared how menstrual cycle works inside the body of a woman. She also shared tips how women should take charge of this cycle every month. Isobel Marshall, 2021 Young Australian of the Year, is the Co-Founder and Director of Health and Education at TABOO Sanitary Products. She also studies Medicine at the University of Adelaide. At 17 and 18 years old, Eloise Hall and Isobel Marshall Co-Founded the South Australian based social enterprise TABOO. In 2017, they crowd-funded $56,000 to launch their range of high quality, ethically sourced, organic cotton pads and tampons. They sell to the Australian market with 100% of net profits donated to Charity partner OneGirl, and all business activities dedicated to eradicating period poverty and challenging menstrual stigma locally and abroad. TABOO has partnered with many Australian organisations, providing free access to pads for Australian women who require menstrual support.'TABOO': project tackles period poverty through subscription service | The Drum
In her final year of school, young Australian of the year Isobel Marshall hatched a plan with her best friend to take on menstrual stigma and period poverty. The pair took a gap year to develop their business 'taboo' - and two years on they're shipping ethically sourced organic pads and tampons across the nation - and using the profits to help women across the globe.Isobel Marshall | 2021 Young Australian of the Year
At just 18 years of age, Isobel Marshall co-founded TABOO with school friend Eloise Hall, to help women around the world by breaking down stigma around menstruation and providing greater access to hygiene products. Isobel and business partner Eloise, crowdfunded $56,000 to launch their range of products in August 2019. TABOO sells high quality, ethically sourced, organic cotton pads and tampons to an Australian market, with 100 per cent of net profits going to One Girls - a charity providing education programs for girls and women in Sierra Leone and Uganda. Locally, Isobel and TABOO have partnered with Vinnies Women's Crisis centre, providing free access to pads and tampons for women who require emergency accommodation in South Australia. Recognising period poverty is not just a big city issue, they also support the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council. Isobel is also a full-time student at the University of Adelaide, where she is studying a Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) and a Bachelor of Surgery.Young Australian of the Year Isobel Marshall joins Academy for Enterprising Girls for Facebook Live
The newly appointed Young Australian of the Year Isobel Marshall talks about how she and her best friend create TABOO, a social enterprise designed to eliminate period poverty and end menstrual stigma.Awesome. Inspired the audience with their story, honesty and the power of social purpose organisations. We considered it a privilege to have them speak to us. ... keep reading The CEO Institute
Very informative and Isobel was very passionate and inspiring. We had another speaker at our conference whose major focus was building toilets in India so girls could continue their schooling when they start menstruating. Rotary has 6 humanitarian areas of focus of which one is Child and Maternal Health so it was a well received presentation.
Both Isobel and Eloise were fantastic additions to our IWD program. The interview style worked well - particularly as it was curated for our online audience. It made the content more dynamic. Isobel and Eloise were eloquent, knowledgeable and passionate.
Cowell Clarke's general feedback is that we were absolutely thrilled to have Isobel and Eloise present to our clients. They did a wonderful job explaining their journey and addressing the whole purpose behind their start-up. We really appreciated the positive feedback in relation to Megan's work with TABOO and how it has been a pleasurable experience. Guest feedback = they were overwhelmed and in awe of Isobel and Eloise. Everyone had a wonderful time and definitely weren't afraid to talk openly about menstruation on the night! Well done girls.
Isobel was a host for our podcast series, The Discovery Pod. She did a fantastic job. She was confident speaking to academics across a broad range of topics; she was always well presented and reliable; and she brought extra light to our podcast with her warm and bubbly personality.
