About

Eco Femme, founded in 2010 by Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, is a pioneering women-led social enterprise dedicated to sustainable menstrual health. Rooted in the goal of creating positive environmental and cultural change, Eco Femme produces and sells GOTS-certified organic cotton washable cloth pads. These eco-friendly alternatives prevent millions of disposable plastic pads from polluting landfills. Beyond manufacturing, the organization provides vital menstrual health education and facilitates open dialogues to break taboos across India. Eco Femme operates impactful non-profit programs like Pad for Pad and Pads for Sisters, offering free or subsidized cloth pad kits to adolescent girls and economically disadvantaged women. By empowering rural women with livelihood opportunities through stitching and training, and by fostering a global Eco-Sisterhood, Eco Femme beautifully merges environmental sustainability, women's empowerment, and dignified menstrual hygiene management.

Public Awareness Reusable Products Sanitary pads Health and Wellness Menstrual Hygiene Eco-friendly Products

Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema

CEO

Operating since 2010

11-50 Members

Impact

Eco-system

Cities and Towns

Villages

Sectors

Health and Wellness

Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry

Circular Economy and Waste Reduction

Social Enterprise

Products & services

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Book - When Girls Grow Up

What is my period exactly? And what about puberty, pimples and budding breasts? Is what I am going through normal? For many young women who are navigating these profound physical and emotional changes, it is easy to suddenly feel like we become a stranger to ourselves! Growing up is much easier when you understand what is happening and know what to expect. This book offers information on body image, breast development, periods, mood swings, hormones, first bras, and tips on body care, hair, skin, nutrition and exercise. This special edition includes a detailed section on different reusable menstrual products. Filled with relatable information and illustrations. Author: Niyatii N Shah.

₹499

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Breast Pads

Set of 4 breast pads Eco femme’s breast pads are a convenient breastfeeding accessory that you can carry with you whether you are at home or outside, to handle the breast milk leaks and stains. They are made from GOTS certified organic cotton, making them naturally soft, breathable, and gentle on the skin. Top layer: gots certifies organic cotton, undyed and unbleached. Inner layer: 3 absorbent layers of gots certifies organic cotton, undyed and unbleached. Back layer: leak-proof layer, gots certifies organic cotton.

₹545

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Cloth Storage Bag

Made from unbleached cotton, this simple drawstring bag can be used to store all your pads conveniently.

₹80

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Credit

With this purchase, you help us provide menstrual education and cloth pads to economically disadvantaged women and girls through our Pad for Pad & Pad for Sisters programme. Want to gift more? Click the product page or add contributions at checkout.

1

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Cuterus - Teaching Aid

Our Cute Uterus, fondly known as a "Cuterus", is a soft, hand-crocheted model of the uterus. It is a life-size, 3-dimensional representative model that features the Fallopian Tubes, Ovaries Uterus, and 3 drops of "blood". It is easy for girls to relate to and an effective, engaging way to help explain the female reproductive system and illustrate the way menstruation works. We use the cuterus in menstrual health education sessions - girls love the texture and softness of the cuterus - handling the cuterus and placing it over their lower body helps them feel less shy and more curious about what is happening on the inside. Recommended to anyone who is working as a menstrual health educator as part of your kit of teaching aids. It is packed and stored in a drawstring cloth pouch. Dimensions: Height: 11.5cm; Length: 19.5cm; Blood droplets: 3cm | Color: Pink & Red

775

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Day Pad - Natural Organic

Eco Femme’s Day pad works great for average flow. Fabric: Organic cotton certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) Leak Proofing: Yes, PUL (polyurethane laminate) on the back layer. No of Absorbent Layers: 6 layers (1 top layer + 5 inner layers) Fabric Dyes: The top layer and the inner layers are un-dyed and unbleached. Product Life: Our pads will last approx. 75 – 100 washes, or 3 -5 years, depending on how frequently a pad is used and how well it is cared for.

₹270

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Day Pad - Twin Pack - Natural Organic

Eco Femme’s Day pad works great for average flow. Made from GOTS certified organic cotton. Leak proof layer: PUL (polyurethane laminate) on the back layer. No. of absorbent layers: 6 layers (1 top layer + 5 inner layers). Top and inner layers are un-dyed and unbleached. Product life: approx. 75 – 100 washes, or 3 -5 years. 2 Pad Per Pack.

₹480

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Day Pad - Twin Pack- Vibrant Organic

Made from GOTS certified organic cotton, Eco Femme's Day pad works great for average/light flow. Comes with leak proof layer and lasts up to 3-5 years (approx. 75–100 washes).

480

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Day Pad - Vibrant Organic

Made from GOTS certified organic cotton, Eco Femme's Day pad works great for average flow. Comes with leak proof layer and lasts upto 2-5 years (75-100 washes).

₹270

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Day Pad Plus - Natural Organic

Eco Femme’s Day pad Plus is great for moderate to heavy flow. This cloth pad offers good protection for the heavier flow days and lighter flow nights of your period.

300

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A women-led social enterprise offering organic washable cloth pads and pioneering sustainable menstrual health education.

Method and technique

The Sustainable Menstrual Health Fabrication And Educational Outreach Methodology Actively Implemented By Eco Femme

Method and Technique of Eco Femme are:

Organic Cotton Textile Procurement: The enterprise utilizes a highly rigorous ecological sourcing method, actively procuring premium, GOTS-certified organic cotton fabrics directly from ethical suppliers, successfully ensuring the foundational textiles remain completely free from hazardous agricultural pesticides and harsh synthetic dyes.
Localized Cloth Pad Hand-Stitching: Eco Femme employs a deeply empowering and localized manufacturing technique, deliberately partnering with skilled rural women artisans in Tamil Nadu to manually cut, layer, and stitch the highly absorbent cloth pads, successfully maintaining exceptional quality control while championing ethical labor practices.
Cross-Subsidized Impact Distribution: They utilize an incredibly progressive socio-economic funding method, actively leveraging commercial retail sales generated from international and premium domestic markets to successfully subsidize the cost of manufacturing and distributing free educational kits and pads to marginalized communities.
Comprehensive Menstrual Literacy Workshops: The organization employs a highly specialized community education technique, carefully facilitating open, judgement-free educational sessions for adolescent girls and boys in rural schools, successfully teaching biological facts, proper hygiene management, and sustainable product usage to break deep-rooted cultural taboos.
NGO Partner Network Integration: Eco Femme utilizes an expansive and highly collaborative outreach method, systematically partnering with over eighty distinct grassroots NGOs across various Indian states, successfully utilizing localized expertise to distribute their Pad for Pad and Pads for Sisters programs effectively and respectfully.
Zero-Waste Product Lifecycle Design: They employ a highly responsible environmental engineering technique, meticulously designing their durable cloth pads to withstand up to 75 washes, successfully ensuring that the product provides years of reliable use before naturally degrading, entirely eliminating the need for single-use plastic disposal.