Ira Concept, Femtech CEO Rung Satchatippavarn on Being a Period Activist

The statement that "going on the pill makes women fat" is not entirely correct, as making assumptions about someone’s weight, even if well-intentioned, can be hurtful. In today’s modern society, each person likely has their own story about weight-related issues, which requires empathy and respect for their feelings and boundaries.

The Beat Asia caught up with Varangtip “Rung” Satchatippavarn from Bangkok, who shared how her menstrual condition impacted her weight due to medication she took to manage her period.

As she entered her twenties, Rung constantly struggled with irregular periods combined with pad allergies and menstrual pains that significantly affected her work attendance. This personal battle led her to question the societal taboos when it comes to women's health as well as the dearth of innovative solutions available.

With this, Rung was motivated to create change by establishing her own company, ira (pronounced eye-rah). More than just a business venture, ira is also a movement aimed at fostering societal transformations dedicated to women's health.

Can you share your journey as a period activist and women's health advocate?

Before ira, I was working in the government, a VC firm, and a startup company. Throughout my whole career, I have witnessed and fallen victim to gender inequality and have been frustrated with how little we are doing for the environment and society as a whole.

I knew then that you don’t have to be in the system (government) to create change, and you don’t have to wait for change to happen and be the change you want to see. That’s why I decided to quit my job on [Sept. 25, 2019] and devoted myself [to the] research and development of the brand. In November 2020, ira was born and we launched our first product: 100% organic and 99% biodegradable sanitary pads and liners.

The more research I did on period poverty and women’s health innovation, the more passionate I got. However, I couldn't find any activists or influencers in this specific area. That’s when I thought to myself, if no one is advocating about this, then I will.

Could you provide more details about the mission and scope of Femtech? Additionally, what challenges did you face in establishing Femtech, and how did you overcome them?

Femtech is a term used for startups innovating in the women’s health industry, e.g., menstruation, menopause, fertility, etc.

Compared to other countries, the concept of feminism, Femtech, and period poverty in Thailand is still very new, and there are a lot of misunderstandings surrounding these topics.

The good thing about being the first mover is that it provides great potential to grow but also poses a huge challenge to educate customers. This is why we did a lot of branding and communication. Our communication strategy also has to be creative and memorable. If you look at our page, you’ll see we have a presence on many channels (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook), and all of them provide very easy to digest information to make it attractive and fun for viewers.

Another struggle is advertising and content creation because sometimes our subjects or wording is deemed inappropriate as our content got muted multiple times and our page warned of being shut down. We try to wiggle our way around this using different words or censoring, but over-censorship is bad for getting the right message across.

Going into meetings full of middle-aged men and explaining to them the importance of menstrual welfare and needs are very challenging and discouraging at times, especially when no one understands it. I also get a lot of negative comments online on my content, calling me all sorts of things like sl*t, attention seeker, or even catcalling me.

In the end, I got through these negative comments because I focused on my customers and positive comments. Out of 100 bad ones, there are more people who thank us or share their stories about how grateful they are for our product or service. They are the reason why I started the company, and if I can make one person feel the difference, then my work is effective. The mission is too great and bigger than me or my company, so remembering why I started will help me get through these challenges.

How does ira ensure that its feminine hygiene products are not only comfortable but also contribute to better health and a healthier planet?

Our products are 99% biodegradable and 100% organic (certified), which means we reduce the amount of toxins released to our planet and divert [four] plastic bags from landfills per pad being used. Since we don’t use any toxic chemicals in our products, it is healthier for [the] user’s health and skin.

Our pads don’t produce dioxins or phthalates, which can lead to reproductive health problems, and we don’t use perfume or synthetic fibres that can cause rashes or allergies. From our bamboo fibre to our bioplastic, our pads are biodegradable and don’t leave microplastics. We offer the perfect balance between convenience and sustainability for our users.

What measures have you taken to make ira’s products both affordable and accessible, especially considering the pricing challenges often associated with eco-friendly alternatives?

We want to ensure our products are as affordable and accessible as possible because period poverty or pad allergies don’t discriminate. You can be anywhere or in any class and still suffer from rashes. Our solution supports and aligns with our goal too, which is to achieve economy of scale and diversify our sales channels. We sell through B2C (>50 supermarkets), D2C (social commerce and e-commerce marketplaces), and B2B (universities, hotels, and corporations).

Besides ira's eco-friendly period products, do you engage in any outreach or educational programmes?

Yes, we started off with our social media content and expanded to crafting and delivering programmes in local schools around Bangkok. So far, we have conducted menstrual health hygiene programme[s] in [five] schools and educated 750 students since we launched it [in] November 2022.

These are conducted with our ira “For All initiative” where we donate pads to underprivileged girls and families. We have partners all over Thailand who help us distribute our pads to reduce period poverty, and so far, we have donated over 1.5 million pads since we launched our brand in November 2020.

Period products can be a sensitive topic for some individuals. How would you approach creating inclusive and diverse messaging that resonates with a wide range of audiences while respecting cultural differences and individual preferences?

Social listening is very important when you are doing a D2C brand. The words and phrases we use have already factored in how our audience or regulation will view them to ensure it’s acceptable and approved.

Keeping up with the current trends and producing content in real-time is also very helpful to ensure that our content is up to date and with higher engagement. Regarding communication surrounding period and sex, we make sure to always address myths and misconceptions that are specific to Thailand and discuss them with our audience. We even use codenames like “bread” which means sanitary pads.

Looking forward, what do you see as the biggest opportunities for your company?

I think this industry is very untapped and underserved, so the only way is up. We want to continue developing solutions for menstruators, but also opportunities to be with our customers through every stage of their women’s health cycle, whether it’s during puberty, fertility, or menopause.

What advice do you have for anyone, regardless of gender, who wants to join the movement to fight period poverty?

Talk about it. Start with your family, close friends, or partner. When I used to set up booths and interact with customers, I always found childhood friends or family who never discussed these things together, even though they talked about everything every day. It’s crazy how this topic is so taboo.

Understanding your fellow human’s health and well-being and having empathy with them is the first step in creating an inclusive and sustainable environment. The next step is to act on these issues and find solutions to address them, whether it’s donating pads, educating others on sex education, or supporting organisations with a mission to destroy period poverty. For corporations, we have a B2B sales channel to support those who want to get involved by providing menstrual welfare schemes for employees/clients.

This interview has been edited for clarity. Read more about Rung here. Stay updated on Ira Concept & Femtech’s latest updates by following them on Facebook and Instagram.