Impact / Social · Auroville, Tamil Nadu
Eco Femme
Organic washable cloth menstrual pads, a social enterprise based in Auroville.
Founded by Kathy Walkling, Jessamijn Miedema
Snapshot
- Founded
- 2009
- Headquarters
- Auroville, Tamil Nadu
- Industry
- Impact / Social
- Business model
- Impact
- Funding stage
- Bootstrapped
- Markets
- India
- Last updated
- 7 July 2026
About Eco Femme
Eco Femme makes washable cloth pads from organic cotton, stitched by rural women in Tamil Nadu and sold in more than 25 countries. Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema founded the social enterprise in Auroville in 2009, growing it out of livelihood work with nearby villages. Each pad can be washed and reused for years, replacing hundreds of disposables. Through its Pad for Pad programme, every pad bought internationally funds a cloth pad kit and menstrual education for an adolescent girl in India. By 2022 the enterprise had distributed over a million pads.
Founders
Kathy Walkling
Woman FounderCo-founder
Kathy Walkling co-founded Eco Femme in 2009 out of livelihood work with rural women's groups around Auroville. She remains one of India's most visible advocates for sustainable menstruation.
Jessamijn Miedema
Woman FounderCo-founder
Jessamijn Miedema co-founded Eco Femme with Kathy Walkling in Auroville in 2009, helping establish its washable cloth pad production and early sales.
Industry classification
Impact / Social Menstrual Care
Ideal customers
Awards & recognition
- crQlr Awards, Menstruation Sustainability Prize (2022)
Website, social
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Eco Femme do?
- Eco Femme makes washable cloth pads from organic cotton, stitched by rural women in Tamil Nadu and sold in more than 25 countries. Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema founded the social enterprise in Auroville in 2009, growing it out of livelihood work with nearby villages. Each pad can be washed and reused for years, replacing hundreds of disposables. Through its Pad for Pad programme, every pad bought internationally funds a cloth pad kit and menstrual education for an adolescent girl in India. By 2022 the enterprise had distributed over a million pads.
- Who founded Eco Femme?
- Eco Femme was founded by Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema.
- Where is Eco Femme headquartered?
- Eco Femme is headquartered in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Is Eco Femme funded?
- Eco Femme is bootstrapped — self-funded rather than venture-backed.
- When was Eco Femme founded?
- Eco Femme was founded in 2009.