Share the Dignity founder and 4017 resident, Rochelle Courtney has been named AusMumpreneur of the Year for 2024.
The national awards recognise “the best and brightest Mums in Business” and Rochelle said she was delighted to take home this year’s top honour.
“Nine years ago, I went to the awards, just to be in a room with so many talented women,” she said.
“I went because I didn’t know how to write an editorial, and I thought, maybe I would meet someone who could help me. That’s always been my policy – surround myself with people who know more than me.
“I literally did not expect to win, and I had no speech prepared, but I do talk about Share the Dignity all the time.
“I tell people I do it for the girl who stole socks from a laundromat to have something to use for her period. Once you hear that, you can’t unhear it.”
Share the Dignity was founded in 2015 and aims to end period poverty, distributing period products to women and girls experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic violence, or otherwise doing it tough.
Celebrating Impact for Transformative Work in Women’s Health
This year, the charity had five million period products donated during their Dignity Drive in August, and aimed to donate one million bags of toiletries and other products to women during their Christmas It’s in the Bag campaign.
“Now it’s about advocating for change,” Rochelle said.
“So that every workplace has period products and that no matter what school you go to, there are period products there for you. Our next 10 years is about doing ourselves out of a job so that no one needs us.”
Rochelle added that the support of the 4017 community had been vital to her success personally and the success of Share the Dignity.
“There’s nowhere better than the 4017,” she said.
“If anyone there needs help, people put their hand up to help and that to me is a real community.
“If (state MP) Stirling Hinchliffe had not helped us, I don’t know where we would be – I remember having a meeting with Stirling saying, ‘How do we get the GST off period products?’ and he was fabulous. (Councillor) Jared Cassidy gave us the money for our first computer.
“Our challenge now is how do we get more local councils on board with us, and the federal government, how do we get free period products in every hospital?
“Until one day hopefully women won’t have to beg and plead for this, and they can just be free to be the best version of themselves.”
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