Your Period.
Your Right to Choose.
Who We Are
Earth Sisters Fiji is an Australian based Not-for-profit online business providing eco-friendly, sustainable, economical and ethical feminine hygiene products to the women and girls of the South Pacific Islands.
Earth Sisters Fiji is proudly supported by Food Matters Foundation Ltd an Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) registered charity. The company is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). Accordingly, donations to Food Matters Foundation Ltd to support Earth Sisters Fiji are tax deductible in Australia.
Food Matters Foundation Ltd
ABN: 71 606 334 052
PO Box 1302, Mooloolaba Qld 4557, Australia
Email: earthsistersfiji@gmail.com
Email for services: mail@pbapartners.com.au
Established June 2015
Summary of activities:
To educate and fund projects around healthy lifestyle, sustainability and community.
Our Board
Meet our foundation board members and directors of the Food Matters Foundation.
James Colquhoun
Director of Food Matters Foundation
CEO of Gaia Inc.
He founded and served as FMTV’s Chief Executive Officer until FMTV was acquired by Gaia Inc. in June 2019.
Since 2020 he has also served as a member of Gaia’s board of directors
Founder of Food Matters
Filmmaker & Author
Laurentine ten Bosch
Director of Food Matters Foundation
Founder of Food Matters and FMTV (now on Gaia.com)
Filmmaker, Author and Nutrition & Business Coach
Roy Colquhoun
CFO and co-founder of Earth Sisters Fiji
Chartered Accountant for over 30 years
Registered Company Auditor for over 30 years
Over 30 years’ experience in auditing a large and diverse client base Australia wide
Megan Colquhoun
CEO and co-founder of Earth Sisters Fiji
Business Operations Manager, Chartered Accounting practice for over 30 years
Company Director for over 30 years
Our Advisors
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MDG commenced in 2016, an international risk management advisory firm specialising in Governance, IR/HR/Safety Management Services and the Risk Dollarisation® Process. Hamilton has a deep passion in the textile and garment industry spurred by the Rana Plaza Bangladesh Incident in 2013. In 2014 Hamilton was selected by TEDx for her presentation on “The Price of a Life-the Price of a Designer T-Shirt”. In 2016 Hamilton patented “Risk Dollarisat ion®”; a methodology designed to convince the financial impacts of damage costs to organisations and hence reduce the human impacts of work.
In 2017 Hamilton was selected to present with the United Nations ILO and ISSA on the topic of the “Return on Prevention with the Risk Dollarisation® Process”. In 2018 Hamilton started working alongside the Pakistan Government Department of Human and Labour Resources in Pakistan’s textile and garment factories using the Risk Dollarisation® process to assist Buyers, Manufacturers, Suppliers, Owners & Workers to understand the Damage Costs and opportunities for reduced human impacts and increased financial profits. This work further led to changes in workers compensation for the country, medical practices for responses to incidents (including textile and garments) and creation of 5 years of true and actual data for Workplace Injuries and Fatalities for the Pakistan Government- previously unmeasured. Hamilton has also worked in Australia for Cook Medical whom hand stitch human heart aortas. In 2023 Hamilton was awarded at the XXIII World Congress on Safety & Health at Work 2023 the International Social Security Award - The human impacts of our work & it's resulting economic costs of OSH.
Hamilton's academic background consists of a Graduate Diploma of Professional Practice in Safety Governance & Board Organisational Behaviour, a Post Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health, Safety and the Environment and a Bachelor in Natural Resource Economics. Studying the complete set of key skill sets for risk, ranging from ergonomics to economics to econometrics, to environmental law and politics.
Jillian is responsible for two patents; two related to Non-Financial Risks of Businesses in Financial Terms (of which she has authored a book on the same topic) and another relating to Safety Governance measurement is in development.
Her expertise is Strategic in Non-Financial Risk offering services in Safety Governance, IR/HR, Sustainability/ESG, GRC, Acquisition & Merger Reviews, Damage Costs Assessments, Workers Compensation and Risk Dollarisation® applications.
She takes a Financial Approach to Non-Financial Risk & lends this expertise to all kinds of organisations including governments, businesses & leaders globally. With 26K+ Followers; Her mission is to raise the profile on governance within the marketplace.
Jillian Hamilton
Sustainability Advisor
Menstruation Matters
Advisory Uni in Australia
Amy Lykins and Suzanne Cosh
Clinical Psychology University of New England
Associate Professors Amy Lykins and Suzanne Cosh, Clinical Psychology University of New England study on “How climate change is affecting Fijians’ mental health” January 2024 In collaboration with University of South Pacific.
Kate Hannah Martin
CHEC The Commonwealth Human Ecology Council
Kate Hanna Martin (CHEC Digital Coordinator). Kate is undertaking media project “Conversations on Climate Change in the Pacific, Kate interviewed Megan Colquhoun January 2024 whilst in Fiji for her research.
Robyn Bradley CPA
Managing Partner PBA Partners Accountants, Sydney Australia
Robyn has been with PBA Partners since 2002. With over 30 years experience in public practice accounting. She specialises in Taxation and Business Services
Our Mission
To provide the women and girls of the South Pacific Islands with access to reusable sanitary pads and at the same time providing an environmentally friendly solution to managing their monthly flow
To produce a range of reusable sanitary pads manufactured locally in Fiji.
Journeying along-side mothers, sisters, and girl-friends, empowering each other with wisdom through learning, listening, and sharing. We trust our mission will provide a healthy, sustainable eco-friendly and affordable choice for the women and girls of the South Pacific Islands.
Be the change our environment needs!
Cloth pads save around 10,000 disposable pads, liners and tampons per woman, per lifetime!
What are cloth pads?
Reusable cloth sanitary pads are the sustainable solution to managing your flow days, by saving disposables from entering landfill. Most disposable pads and tampons are made of a mix of cotton and synthetic rayon, and companies are not legally required to disclose what they are made of which means you won’t usually be able to see materials listed on tampon and pad boxes. Reusable cloth sanitary pads offer a healthier choice for your body and the earth too!
Our Nurcha range of reusable cloth sanitary pads are locally made in Fiji of the highest quality fabrics sourced from overseas (fabrics not available in Fiji) helping create more employment opportunities for Fijians.
What are the benefits of switching to cloth?
+ So much more comfortable, it feels amazing against your skin.
+ No more irritations or concerns about your personal hygiene with chemicals or plastics used in disposable pads.
+ Eco-friendly, saving on landfill keeping our earth and waterways healthy. On average, women use around 10,000 disposable pads or tampons in their lifetime. Most disposable pads and tampons take 500-800 years to decompose.
+ Affordability. Each pad lasts up to 60 washes (up to 5 years depending on how well you look after them). This way you can always have your pads ready for your flow days. According to “The Last Taboo” research on menstrual hygiene management in the Pacific, released in February 2017, it was reported that women pay $4 to $6 per packet of disposables, and if their flow is heavy they will spend $12 to $14 for disposables. The report goes on to say estimated spending is around $10 per month on these disposable products.
Many reports have concluded the cost to you and the environment has been hidden when it comes to feminine hygiene products. Concerns about the chemicals and the percentage of plastics and materials used in these disposable products is alarming when you consider your monthly cycle is being impacted by these hidden unknowns.
The hidden truths of feminine hygiene products.
“ The researchers also detected potentially harmful VOC’s in all 11 of the menstrual pad brands tested. The exposure to these toxins have been linked to dizziness, skin irritation and allergic reactions, and even damage to kidneys and the central nervous system according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” 1. (See extract from Environmental Working Group link below). There is also an enormous environmental cost associated with the disposal of feminine hygiene products.
“Menstruation management products, such as pads and tampons, are considered medical devices, but the FDA does not require manufacturers to disclose ingredients to consumers”2. (See extract from Environmental Working Group link below).
End notes 1 & 2. — Extract from Environmental Working Group website Environmental Working Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, EIN 52-2148600.
