Women’s Month is often marked by conversations about leadership, empowerment and equality. But for Dr Vivian Mokome, founder of DGN (Dignity) Organic Sanitary Pads, empowerment also means being able to make informed choices about something as fundamental as menstrual health.
From South Africa to the wider SADC region, Mokome is building a movement around a subject that is often discussed quietly, despite affecting millions of women and girls every month. Her approach is simple: period care should be about more than simply having a sanitary pad. It should be about dignity, safety, accessibility and choice.
A WOMEN’S MONTH CONVERSATION THAT GOES DEEPER
As Women’s Month unfolds across the region, increasing attention is being paid to the products women use during menstruation and what those products are made from.
Research and public discussions around potentially concerning substances, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals, have raised questions about transparency and product safety. For consumers, the conversation has created a demand for clearer information and greater accountability from manufacturers.
Mokome believes women should not simply be consumers at the end of that conversation. They should be part of the conversation from the beginning. For DGN, that means encouraging women to ask questions about the products they use, while pushing the industry towards greater transparency and more responsible approaches to menstrual care.
FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO THE SADC REGION
What makes DGN particularly relevant to the region is its ambition to take the conversation beyond South Africa. The brand has developed a presence in the SADC region and the United Kingdom, supported by a network of around 10 000 ambassadors.
The initiative has also created employment opportunities, linking menstrual health with economic participation and entrepreneurship. It is a model that speaks to a broader reality across Southern Africa: menstrual health cannot be separated from economic empowerment.
For women and girls facing financial hardship, the cost and availability of menstrual products can affect everything from school attendance to work and participation in everyday life. That is why the period-poverty conversation remains an important part of the DGN mission.
WHY BIODEGRADABLE MATTERS
DGN’s products are designed in South Africa as premium biodegradable sanitary pads, with a focus on highly absorbent protection and a more environmentally conscious approach to feminine hygiene.
The brand describes its products as toxin-free and designed as an alternative to conventional synthetic plastic pads. That environmental angle is increasingly important as conversations around sustainability move into everyday consumer products. For Mokome, women should not have to view personal wellbeing and environmental responsibility as competing priorities.
WOMEN NEED A SEAT AT THE TABLE
Perhaps the strongest message emerging from Mokome’s work is that menstrual health is not a niche issue. It sits at the intersection of healthcare, education, poverty, environmental sustainability, manufacturing and women’s rights.
And because women are the primary users of menstrual products, Mokome argues that they should have a stronger voice in conversations around product standards, regulation, research and access.
This Women’s Month, her message is therefore less about celebrating women for one month and more about addressing the issues that shape their lives throughout the year.
For DGN, the future of menstrual care is not just about producing another sanitary pad. It is about creating choices that are safer, more dignified, more sustainable — and ensuring women have a voice in defining what that future looks like.
As that conversation travels beyond South Africa and into the wider SADC region, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: menstrual health deserves a much bigger seat at the table.
