A new Victoria-based period care company says it takes B次元官网网址渁 village of empowered menstruatorsB次元官网网址� to change the industry and itB次元官网网址檚 ready to start building.

Based on the three pillars of good for body, good for planet and good for community, Joni offers CanadaB次元官网网址檚 only biodegradable bamboo pad and donates one product for every one purchased.

The idea for the company came to co-founder, Jayesh Vekariya, after he moved to Canada from India and was shocked to find that in such a wealthy country something as basic as menstrual products was inaccessible to a large portion of the population.

One-third of Canadian women under age 25 say theyB次元官网网址檝e struggled to afford menstrual products, according to a 2018 report by Plan International Canada.

In their lifetimes, Canadian women spend an average of $6,000 on menstrual products, and women in rural communities can pay double the price for the same products found in larger cities.

Finding this unacceptable, Vekariya and fellow founder, Linda Biggs, decided to create their own product. B次元官网网址淥ur mission is about period equity,B次元官网网址� Biggs said.

Beyond its one-for-one business model, Joni also offers Canada-wide free shipping to ensure that individuals in remote areas can receive menstrual products for the same price. Its biodegradable pads break down within a year, compared to the hundreds of years plastic-based pads are estimated to take.

While Joni currently only sells pads, Biggs said they are extremely excited to be launching tampons and B次元官网网址渁 new innovative productB次元官网网址� come 2021. They are also planning on selling their products in specialty grocery stores in the new year.

The company is about more than just the product though, explained Biggs. B次元官网网址淛oni is about bringing people together and talking about subject matter we havenB次元官网网址檛 be traditionally comfortable talking about.B次元官网网址�

JoniB次元官网网址檚 website also hosts a blog where guest writers discuss various taboo subjects from how periods are understood in different cultures to what itB次元官网网址檚 like to have your period after giving birth.

B次元官网网址淧eople can come to learn about their bodies and feel like theyB次元官网网址檙e not alone in the information they want or the stories they want to share,B次元官网网址� Biggs said.

Beyond Joni, Biggs said she is excited to see an ever-growing shift in the entrepreneurship community towards focusing on community and sustainability. B次元官网网址淲e need to be looking at success in a holistic way,B次元官网网址� she said.

Do you have a story tip? Email: jane.skrypnek@blackpress.ca.

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