It’s in the Bag is one of Australia’s most cherished Christmas appeals, encouraging everyday Australians to fill a bag (Teen, Adult, or Mum & Bub) with essential items and include a simple handwritten ‘Dear Her’ note.
Join us as we come together to pack bags that will make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable girls, women, and people who menstruate in our local community.
Find out more and get your tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1650364
Stock only
Looking for a more approachable goal with the same big impact? This option makes it easier for individuals, schools, workplaces, or community champions to make a difference.
By funding the stock for a machine at a local school, community space or workplace you are actively fighting period poverty and ensuring menstrual equity in your community.
$5,000 will cover the cost of unlimited stock access for a Share the Dignity approved site for a year.
Upfront + Annual or PAYG stock
Raise $11,000 upfront to cover the cost of the machine, installation, technical support & maintenance, and stock for 1 year.
For independant sites, the host site agrees to manage the onging cost of $5000 annually for support and unlimited stock access or $575 per carton (200) in a pay-as-you-go capacity for a 3 year term.
For community sites chosen by Share the Dignity, Share the Dignity will join fundraising campaigns to fund ongoing costs.* (T&C’s apply)
*Supply Agreements required. Share the Dignity Approved sites only.
Your partnership doesn’t just fund our work; it creates real change. It sparks national conversations, brings communities together, and ensures that no one has to face the shame or hardship of menstrual inequity alone.
This March, you can raise funds for Share the Dignity by hosting your own International Women’s Day fundraiser with your workplace. Simply sign up today and your support will help those experiencing menstrual inequity.
Our specially designed and easy to maintain Dignity Dispensers and Dignity Vending Machines provide an easy way for you to ensure your employees or customers can access free period products, all while supporting Share the Dignity.
You can use this period and menopause leave as an example of what you could add to your current leave policy. *Organisation Name* provides an additional form of Personal Leave for Employees who may be experiencing severe symptoms related to their Period or Menopause. Employees can access up to four days paid leave (pro-rata for part time staff) per year. The leave is a separate entitlement to Personal / Carer’s Leave, does not accrue and is not paid out upon termination. *Note: This wording is only an example and every organisation will have different conditions to take into account when implementing and creating a period/menopause leave policy.
Working nearly ten years in the construction industry, I’ve learned how much the small, practical things on site can shape your experience of work.
For a long time, managing my period while working as a carpenter meant constantly thinking about logistics. Was there a toilet? How far away was it? Would I need to bring my own supplies? Was there somewhere to wash my hands properly? It was something I quietly planned around each month, and there were even times I used medication to try and stop my period altogether so I wouldn’t have to navigate the lack of facilities on site.
I now work in a workplace where these things are considered, and it made me realise just how much mental space I’d been using without noticing. Not having to think about basic facilities has taken a weight off and allowed me to focus fully on the job at hand. It’s a small shift that makes a big difference.
If we want to see more women enter and stay in construction, we need to create sites that support them being there. Accessible toilets, hygienic disposal options, and proper places to wash your hands shouldn’t be an afterthought. When those basics are in place, women can work safely, comfortably, and with dignity.
It’s a simple change that helps build better, more inclusive workplaces for everyone.
– Bardie Somerville
There were no sanitary bins at any point in time when I was based on site as a tradie, and it was just something that you wouldn’t even suggest or bring up in conversation, at all.
When I first started on site, I got the very real and quite intense experience of, “they don’t want me here, and they’re going to make it as uncomfortable as possible and they’re going to see what it is that makes me break.” I’ve been that person that has been locked in Portaloos repeatedly, pushed over in them, that happened quite a bit. At one point, they used my lunchbox as a toilet and thought that was hilarious, they would vandalise my tools, all the verbal stuff, the things they’d say, it was just relentless.
By no means am I the resilient person who can take all that stuff. I would go home and cry and just think, “how can anyone think this is okay?” I didn’t feel safe, there was always anxiety and layers upon layers of things I had to think about before I even did something.
This culminated in a particularly hard day trying to navigate using the bathroom on site. There was no female bathroom on site, so quite often I would not go – I would dehydrate myself, I would eat and drink very little so I wouldn’t need to use the bathroom. But when I did have to go, I would have to announce myself. On this day, a group of men followed me into the cubicles, made threats and humiliated me for 40 minutes. I just broke down and thought, “I can’t do this anymore.” Then the site manager stepped in and saved me. He was the first man on site who actually listened – he said, “This is not okay, and those guys aren’t going to be here anymore. I’m so sorry this is happening, I didn’t know and I should’ve known. Let’s fix this.” That simple act of support changed everything.
That was the first instance where things changed, including getting a sanitary bin, but throughout my career, there was always the same type of mindset of, “you don’t belong here, you’re not good enough, why do you need special treatment?” It’s not special treatment, it’s the same – just because we need different things, doesn’t mean it’s a special treatment. All of those things have continued for 30 years. Yes, some things have changed for the better, yes, we’re able to have more open conversations about the challenges women face, but they have certainly not disappeared, they’re not gone.
– Jo Farrell
Registering your charity with Share the Dignity means joining a network of organisations committed to ensuring menstrual equity for all.
You will be able to place requests with us for period products including pads, tampons, period underwear and more, as well as Bags packed with essentials for Adults, Teens and Mums with new Bubs. Requests are open throughout the year, with the months of December to August open for period products and September to November for bags.
Our dedicated volunteer network is then called to action to deliver these items to you, after our key drives in March, August and November.
How to Register and Request Donations
Step 1: Create Your Account
Click “Let’s Get Started” below or visit: https://sharethedignity.azurewebsites.net/ and select “Sign Up Now.”
Where possible, please use a generic organisational email address such as info@ or admin@, so access can be maintained if staff changes occur.
Step 2: Verify Your Email
Step 3: Complete Registration
Tips:
Step 4: Approval Process
Submitting a Product Request
Once your charity registration has been approved, you can submit donation requests. Please note that all requests are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We recommend saving https://sharethedignity.azurewebsites.net/ to your favourites bar so you can easily log in.
How to Submit a Request
Step 1: Sign in to your account.
Step 2: Complete all fields.
Step: 3 Click “Submit Product Request.”
Important Information regarding requests
Fulfilment
This is a request, not an order. Requested quantities may be adjusted or may not be fulfilled depending on the availability of donated items. If your request can be fulfilled, a volunteer will contact you near the end of the drive to arrange delivery.
If you’re having trouble signing up, or have any questions please email [email protected] and a member of our team will be happy to help.
Thank you for registering, we look forward to supporting your organisation!
Director
Michelle Taupau is the Managing Director and co-founder of The Disrupters. She brings 20+ years experience in partnership and stakeholder engagement and management success across the public and private sectors. Harnessing the unique power of sport. Michelle strategically connects brands, government, and media with athletes, teams, and events to create powerful partnerships. In her previous role as the NRL’s Community Relations Manager, her responsibilities included, management of strategic partnerships and Indigenous engagement and program management. She has also managed corporate sales and partnerships for Wests Tigers Rugby League and the Australian Apprenticeship Centre for NSW Business Chamber.
Michelle provides strategic direction to business and sporting bodies and athletes relating to strategic planning, community engagement strategies (diversity, multicultural, Indigenous), talent optimisation and management, and sponsorship. Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge in stakeholder and community engagement, program delivery, sponsorship procurement, and activation strategies, and state and federal government lobbying.
Director
Shayne Gilbert is a founding Board Member of Share the Dignity, who has returned to the Board in June 2020. He has passionately advocated for the difference the charity makes. Shayne is an investment advisor, a passionate rugby coach, a father of four children, and a former teacher. Shayne brings to the charity a strong collaboration strategy to ensure the sustainability of the charity.
Shayne has served on the Committee of Parkinson’s Qld as Vice President, the Shaw and Partners Foundation, and has recently been appointed to the Board of the Queensland Academy of Sport.
“As a father, a husband, a brother, and a son, I could not help but feel empathy for the women and girls Share the Dignity helps. My experience in the financial industry, along with my studies in teaching and psychology, ensure that my strengths are put to good use to help the charity flourish and continue their good work.”
Secretary
Matt Smith has joined the Board of Share the Dignity in June 2020, as our Company Secretary. As a Partner at Prime Accounting & Business Advisory, Matt brings a wealth of experience in strategic business planning, management, and financial analysis, as well as having acted in a board advisory capacity for a number of Australian companies.
Matt has a longstanding relationship with Share the Dignity and is inspired by the passion and goodwill that the charity invokes in the community. He is looking forward to being able to continue the work set down by the previous Board members to ensure that the charity continues to remain aligned to its values.
Treasurer
Nick is an accomplished, results focused senior executive in an innovative and collaborative technology world. Nick is experienced in driving business transformations that shape team and client engagement, contribute to business prosperity, and produce clear strategic directions, with honed leadership skills.
His previous background was in the Government Education sector as a CTO and Executive Director, driving digital innovation, e-commerce and online customer experiences to enhance teaching and learning experiences. He is considered an expert in providing a pragmatic business viewpoint on the cost, quality and time implications of implementing technological solutions that drive competitive business advantage.
Nick has led and managed large and complex ICT organisations and is also a passionate advocate for cyber security and customer success. Nick is currently a cyber security executive within the Orro Group working closely with business customers on educating boards, developing cyber security strategies and operational planning to enhance security posture. Nick also sits on the Queensland Law Society cyber security board.
Deputy Chairperson
Jennifer is the founder of Energise Leadership, an Australian company specialising in organisational and leadership development, executive coaching, training, and facilitation. Prior to establishing her own business seven years ago, she held leadership roles in Government.
As her company name suggests, Jen is about engaging and energising people in the practice of leadership. She is particularly passionate about women and their role as leaders in all aspects of life – at work, home and community.
Over the past five years, she has conducted international development programs at the University of Queensland for women leaders of Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Working with these wonderful women has consolidated her thinking about the practice of leadership and how change can occur though grass roots movements.
Jennifer intends to contribute her knowledge and skills in women’s leadership development, empowerment, advocacy, and social inclusion in her role on the Board of Share the Dignity.
Founder & Executive Managing Director
Rochelle is Share the Dignity’s Founder and Managing director, however, the title she is most proud of though is ‘Pad Lady’. Rochelle has led a team of volunteers collecting millions of period products across Australia.
When Rochelle first learned of homeless women going without period products during their menstrual cycle, she decided the question was not ‘why is no one doing anything’ but rather, ‘what’s stopping me from doing something?’.
In March 2015, Rochelle took matters into her own hands collecting period products within her local community and distributing to local shelters. A simple idea of giving dignity to women resulted in Share the Dignity being created, and has since grown to a national charity. Share the Dignity now has 4,000+ volunteers Australia-wide and multiple initiatives aimed at giving dignity to women.
Chairperson
Simon is a Partner in HWL Ebsworth’s Litigation Team and has over 25 years of experience as a lawyer with a focus on dispute resolution and competition law matters. Simon advised all levels of Government, charitable institutions and corporates, small, medium, and large.
Simon has been named in The Australian Financial Review’s Best Lawyers® as one of Australia’s best lawyers in the Litigation category and has also been recognised in Doyle’s Guide as a Leading Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Lawyers. He is also part of the HWL Ebsworth National Competition Law and Anti-Trust Group which has been recognised as a leading firm by both Chambers and Legal 500.
In addition to his legal work, Simon is also Chairman of ASX listed iCollege Limited (ICT) which operates in the vocational education sector, and is a director of Tyre Evolution, one of Queensland’s largest truck tyre retail businesses.
