[{"id":"24","title":"Story","subCats":[{"id":"53","title":"Sponsored"}]},{"id":"155","title":"Profiles","subCats":[{"id":"27","title":"Users"},{"id":"116","title":"Contributor"}]},{"id":"157","title":"Booms"}]

[{"title":"Issues/Alcohol & Drugs","id":96},{"title":"Issues/All Issues","id":5},{"title":"Issues/Animal Welfare","id":6},{"title":"Issues/Arts & Culture","id":93},{"title":"Issues/Cost of Living","id":94},{"title":"Issues/Disability","id":90},{"title":"Issues/Discrimination","id":108},{"title":"Issues/Employment","id":97},{"title":"Issues/Environment","id":8},{"title":"Issues/First Nations","id":11},{"title":"Issues/Healthcare","id":10},{"title":"Issues/Homelessness","id":91},{"title":"Issues/Housing","id":98},{"title":"Issues/Human Rights","id":95},{"title":"Issues/LGBTQIA+","id":7},{"title":"Issues/Men's Health","id":101},{"title":"Issues/Mental Health","id":13},{"title":"Issues/Multiculturalism","id":100},{"title":"Issues/People of Colour","id":88},{"title":"Issues/Policy","id":99},{"title":"Issues/Refugees","id":86},{"title":"Issues/Senior Citizens","id":12},{"title":"Issues/Sex","id":102},{"title":"Issues/Sustainability","id":9},{"title":"Issues/Technology","id":89},{"title":"Issues/Violence","id":14},{"title":"Issues/Women","id":87},{"title":"Issues/Youth","id":92}]

[{"issue":"Animal Welfare","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/453\/posts\/501\/501.jpg","title":"Protecting Pets and Families","id":"501"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/483\/483.png","title":"Kosciusko National Park is worth fighting for","id":"483"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/248\/248_thumb.jpg","title":"Holiday gifts that actually give","id":"248"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/12\/12_thumb.jpg","title":"Empty The Tanks: A Movement To End Marine Mammal Captivity","id":"12"}]},{"issue":"LGBTQIA+","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/542\/posts\/ep001_thumb.jpg","title":"The QUO Podcast: Ep 1 - JellyFilledGirls on demystifying lesbian porn","id":"675"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-02 14.31.30.png","title":"Local drag queens\u2019 identities are being continuously challenged in Tasmania","id":"666"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/540\/posts\/492\/492.png","title":"Queer Muslims, Islamophobia and mental health in the wake of Christchurch","id":"492"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/491\/491.png","title":"Becoming female: Chaye's transition","id":"491"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/381\/posts\/481\/481.jpg","title":"Supporting Minority Voices: Sydney theatre to watch in 2019","id":"481"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/361\/361_thumb.jpg","title":"Queer festival Fambo celebrates all kinds of families","id":"361"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/300\/300_thumb.jpg","title":"Read the Vibe: the fight to keep Newtown weird, safe and unapologetically queer","id":"300"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/252\/252_thumb.jpg","title":"It was a win, but at what cost?","id":"252"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/239\/239_thumb.jpg","title":"TJ's story on Transgender Day of Remembrance","id":"239"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/142\/142_thumb.jpg","title":"What would Fred Nile's gay-only nation state look like?","id":"142"}]},{"issue":"Environment","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/infullbloomjellyfish.png","title":"In full bloom: What jellyfish tell us about our oceans ","id":"670"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-03-19 15.36.50.png","title":"Climate Act Now ","id":"657"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-02-28 17.35.42.png","title":"Green New What? ","id":"654"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/539\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-10-03 16.56.04.png","title":"Climate action is moving at a glacial pace ","id":"589"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/438\/posts\/504\/504.jpg","title":"A Brief History of Climate Terminology","id":"504"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/379\/posts\/498\/498.png","title":"Sewing the way to a plastic-free NSW","id":"498"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/453\/posts\/493\/493.jpg","title":"Australia's Seaweed Warrior ","id":"493"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/457\/posts\/490\/490.png","title":"Indigenous Elders ask what it will take to stop the NT fracking industry ","id":"490"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/379\/posts\/488\/488.jpg","title":"Reduce, Reuse, Reground","id":"488"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/483\/483.png","title":"Kosciusko National Park is worth fighting for","id":"483"}]},{"issue":"Sustainability","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/456\/posts\/499\/499.png","title":"Thyme for change: Schools plant local bush food gardens","id":"499"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/379\/posts\/498\/498.png","title":"Sewing the way to a plastic-free NSW","id":"498"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/453\/posts\/493\/493.jpg","title":"Australia's Seaweed Warrior ","id":"493"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/379\/posts\/488\/488.jpg","title":"Reduce, Reuse, Reground","id":"488"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/483\/483.png","title":"Kosciusko National Park is worth fighting for","id":"483"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/454\/posts\/480\/480.jpg","title":"Urban farming creates solutions for sustainable produce","id":"480"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/456\/posts\/476\/476.jpg","title":"Going against the flow: Making sustainable period products the norm","id":"476"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/366\/366_thumb.jpg","title":"Championing children to reduce food waste","id":"366"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/363\/363_thumb.jpg","title":"Conversations to save the planet","id":"363"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/333\/333_thumb.jpg","title":"The V-word","id":"333"}]},{"issue":"Healthcare","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/democracypendemic.png","title":"What does it mean to be a democracy during a pandemic?","id":"736"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-10 15.08.59.png","title":"I go to the store to buy milk ","id":"668"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-10-16 17.41.14.png","title":"Nathan Filer on why we must reimagine mental healthcare ","id":"593"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-09-25 17.27.51.png","title":"Denying Asylum Seekers Medical Treatment \u2013 the Medevac law","id":"586"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/532\/posts\/502\/502.jpg","title":"Multicultural Care","id":"502"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/533\/posts\/500\/500.jpg","title":"The culture of women and pain in Australia ","id":"500"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/536\/posts\/496\/496.jpg","title":"Homeless Period","id":"496"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/458\/posts\/478\/478.jpg","title":"Born a girl during China's One Child Policy","id":"478"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/477\/477.jpg","title":"Feeling lonely? You're not alone","id":"477"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/473\/473.png","title":"Surviving meningococcal septicaemia: Ripu\u2019s story ","id":"473"}]},{"issue":"First Nations","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-17 11.41.34.png","title":"Telling her story: the podcast challenging stereotypes of female imprisonment","id":"673"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-03-27 15.58.44.png","title":"Yerrabingin: Bringing Indigenous thinking to food and design ","id":"663"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-11-21 11.03.53.png","title":"#JusticeForWalker cannot be divorced from Australia\u2019s colonial legacy ","id":"618"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/456\/posts\/499\/499.png","title":"Thyme for change: Schools plant local bush food gardens","id":"499"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/457\/posts\/490\/490.png","title":"Indigenous Elders ask what it will take to stop the NT fracking industry ","id":"490"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/538\/posts\/484\/484.png","title":"Is the actor an agent of colonisation who we are neglecting to address?","id":"484"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/381\/posts\/481\/481.jpg","title":"Supporting Minority Voices: Sydney theatre to watch in 2019","id":"481"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/175\/175_thumb.jpg","title":"5 young people on why Australia needs to do better","id":"175"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/220\/220_thumb.jpg","title":"Blak Markets fight against the fake Aboriginal art trade","id":"220"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/258\/258_thumb.jpg","title":"Indigenous disadvantage hits home","id":"258"}]},{"issue":"Senior Citizens","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/77\/77_thumb.jpg","title":"Embracing death as a part of life: Palliative care volunteering","id":"77"}]},{"issue":"Mental Health","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-10 15.08.59.png","title":"I go to the store to buy milk ","id":"668"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-03-26 17.53.30.png","title":"Video games have the power to improve your mental health during lockdown","id":"664"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-10-16 17.41.14.png","title":"Nathan Filer on why we must reimagine mental healthcare ","id":"593"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/491\/491.png","title":"Becoming female: Chaye's transition","id":"491"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/382\/posts\/487\/487.jpg","title":"Boys don't cry: Talking mental health in the barbershop","id":"487"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/533\/posts\/479\/479.jpg","title":"Breaking the taboo: Mental health in immigrant communities ","id":"479"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/477\/477.jpg","title":"Feeling lonely? You're not alone","id":"477"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/536\/posts\/475\/475.jpg","title":"The challenges of mental health services for Chinese-Australians","id":"475"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/382\/posts\/385\/quino-al-225747-unsplash.jpg","title":"Mental health in professional women's sport deserves a seat at the podium","id":"468"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/302\/302_thumb.jpg","title":"Addressing social isolation with community yoga","id":"302"}]},{"issue":"Violence","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/453\/posts\/501\/501.jpg","title":"Protecting Pets and Families","id":"501"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/540\/posts\/492\/492.png","title":"Queer Muslims, Islamophobia and mental health in the wake of Christchurch","id":"492"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/539\/posts\/489\/489.png","title":"Three Australian Muslims talk solidarity after the Christchurch shooting","id":"489"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/535\/posts\/474\/474.jpg","title":"Project Coffee gives Chinese international students a safe space to say #MeToo","id":"474"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/340\/340_thumb.jpg","title":"'Me too.'","id":"340"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/312\/312_thumb.jpg","title":"No short-term solution for domestic violence","id":"312"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/245\/245_thumb.jpg","title":"Keeping the bastards honest: Why every university campus needs a Women\u2019s Collective","id":"245"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/159\/159_thumb.jpg","title":"Changing the space of gender inequality","id":"159"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/261\/261_thumb.jpg","title":"Why representation in the #MeToo movement matters","id":"261"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/13\/13_thumb.jpg","title":"The Queen of Hearts: Q&A with Michelle Ellery","id":"13"}]},{"issue":"Refugees","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/377\/377_thumb.jpg","title":"Your Tradie Has A Story: Hedayat Osyan's Social Enterprise","id":"377"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/371\/371_thumb.jpg","title":"Rural Australians for refugees: an enduring model of support?","id":"371"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/345\/345_thumb.jpg","title":"Grandmothers Against the Detention of Refugee Children","id":"345"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/342\/342_thumb.jpg","title":"Crocheting Dissent","id":"342"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/293\/293_thumb.jpg","title":"Waters skills are a universal life saver","id":"293"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/270\/270_thumb.jpg","title":"House of Welcome","id":"270"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/241\/241_thumb.jpg","title":"GROW: A mental health initiative for Australia's refugees","id":"241"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/243\/243_thumb.jpg","title":"All We Can't See: Humanising the untold stories of Nauru","id":"243"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/178\/178_thumb.jpg","title":"Benita de Wit's Manus Island Project","id":"178"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/155\/155_thumb.jpg","title":"For some refugees, art can make all the difference","id":"155"}]},{"issue":"Women","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-17 11.41.34.png","title":"Telling her story: the podcast challenging stereotypes of female imprisonment","id":"673"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-03-24 13.38.14.png","title":"Revolutionising period education with Bright Girl Health ","id":"661"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/453\/posts\/501\/501.jpg","title":"Protecting Pets and Families","id":"501"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/533\/posts\/500\/500.jpg","title":"The culture of women and pain in Australia ","id":"500"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/536\/posts\/496\/496.jpg","title":"Homeless Period","id":"496"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/432\/posts\/494\/494.jpg","title":"Injecting Intersectionality into Art Practices ","id":"494"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/532\/posts\/485\/485.png","title":"Female voices of colour are making a groove on the nation's literary landscape","id":"485"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/458\/posts\/478\/478.jpg","title":"Born a girl during China's One Child Policy","id":"478"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/456\/posts\/476\/476.jpg","title":"Going against the flow: Making sustainable period products the norm","id":"476"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/535\/posts\/474\/474.jpg","title":"Project Coffee gives Chinese international students a safe space to say #MeToo","id":"474"}]},{"issue":"People of Colour","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/497\/497.png","title":"Bankstown Poetry Slam: A powerhouse of performance poetry ","id":"497"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/432\/posts\/494\/494.jpg","title":"Injecting Intersectionality into Art Practices ","id":"494"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/539\/posts\/489\/489.png","title":"Three Australian Muslims talk solidarity after the Christchurch shooting","id":"489"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/532\/posts\/485\/485.png","title":"Female voices of colour are making a groove on the nation's literary landscape","id":"485"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/538\/posts\/484\/484.png","title":"Is the actor an agent of colonisation who we are neglecting to address?","id":"484"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/381\/posts\/481\/481.jpg","title":"Supporting Minority Voices: Sydney theatre to watch in 2019","id":"481"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/533\/posts\/479\/479.jpg","title":"Breaking the taboo: Mental health in immigrant communities ","id":"479"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/458\/posts\/478\/478.jpg","title":"Born a girl during China's One Child Policy","id":"478"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/536\/posts\/475\/475.jpg","title":"The challenges of mental health services for Chinese-Australians","id":"475"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/535\/posts\/474\/474.jpg","title":"Project Coffee gives Chinese international students a safe space to say #MeToo","id":"474"}]},{"issue":"Technology","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-21 10.45.25.png","title":"Experts offer unexpected solutions on how to increase public compliance and prevent a second wave of COVID-19","id":"674"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/453\/posts\/493\/493.jpg","title":"Australia's Seaweed Warrior ","id":"493"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/454\/posts\/480\/480.jpg","title":"Urban farming creates solutions for sustainable produce","id":"480"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/368\/368_thumb.jpg","title":"Blockchain: A new era of trust?","id":"368"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/364\/364_thumb.jpg","title":"Asian Australian art goes online","id":"364"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/344\/344_thumb.jpg","title":"The Facebook group delivering a hug in a box to struggling farmers","id":"344"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/167\/167_thumb.jpg","title":"Minerva uses data science to increase social impact","id":"167"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/264\/264_thumb.jpg","title":"Homelessness and digital inclusion","id":"264"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/112\/112_thumb.jpg","title":"A Woman Reimagining the Limits of Science: Kelly Wong","id":"112"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/125\/125_thumb.jpg","title":"Access to water should be democratic","id":"125"}]},{"issue":"Disability","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/495\/495.png","title":"Rehearsal for revolution: How theatre can improve disability healthcare ","id":"495"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/473\/473.png","title":"Surviving meningococcal septicaemia: Ripu\u2019s story ","id":"473"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/376\/376_thumb.jpg","title":"Does NDIS address the needs of traumatic brain injury thrivers?","id":"376"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/127\/127_thumb.jpg","title":"Skeletons and Self-Portraits: Emily Dash challenges representations of gender and disability","id":"127"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/100\/100_thumb.jpg","title":"Reading By Ear: 2RPH brings print media to life","id":"100"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/90\/90_thumb.jpg","title":"The Many Faces of Ableism","id":"90"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/229\/229_thumb.jpg","title":"Voices from the Fringes to the Heart of Advocacy: Centring lived experience","id":"229"}]},{"issue":"Homelessness","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-05-07 11.04.47.png","title":"How are Australian charities adapting to pandemic conditions? ","id":"734"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/536\/posts\/496\/496.jpg","title":"Homeless Period","id":"496"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/532\/posts\/469\/469.jpg","title":"A home for girls without a home ","id":"469"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/360\/360_thumb.jpg","title":"On My Feet: A unique approach to homelessness","id":"360"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/248\/248_thumb.jpg","title":"Holiday gifts that actually give","id":"248"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/253\/253_thumb.jpg","title":"A conversation with Orange Sky Laundry founders Nick Marchesi and Lucas Patchett","id":"253"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/227\/227_thumb.jpg","title":"Community gardening as therapy with Street Growth","id":"227"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/258\/258_thumb.jpg","title":"Indigenous disadvantage hits home","id":"258"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/264\/264_thumb.jpg","title":"Homelessness and digital inclusion","id":"264"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/236\/236_thumb.jpg","title":"Humanising Homelessness with Sydney's Safe Space Kitchen","id":"236"}]},{"issue":"Youth","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/456\/posts\/499\/499.png","title":"Thyme for change: Schools plant local bush food gardens","id":"499"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/432\/posts\/494\/494.jpg","title":"Injecting Intersectionality into Art Practices ","id":"494"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/532\/posts\/469\/469.jpg","title":"A home for girls without a home ","id":"469"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/366\/366_thumb.jpg","title":"Championing children to reduce food waste","id":"366"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/361\/361_thumb.jpg","title":"Queer festival Fambo celebrates all kinds of families","id":"361"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/345\/345_thumb.jpg","title":"Grandmothers Against the Detention of Refugee Children","id":"345"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/335\/335_thumb.jpg","title":"The Sydney Story Factory teaches marginalised youth the art of storytelling","id":"335"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/312\/312_thumb.jpg","title":"No short-term solution for domestic violence","id":"312"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/248\/248_thumb.jpg","title":"Holiday gifts that actually give","id":"248"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/116\/116_thumb.jpg","title":"Beyond Adelaide's Fringe Festival: Girl Space and Sanaa","id":"116"}]},{"issue":"Arts & Culture","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/388\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-09-16 13.36.30.png","title":"Australian reading hour: Rediscovering the joys of reading ","id":"584"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/497\/497.png","title":"Bankstown Poetry Slam: A powerhouse of performance poetry ","id":"497"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/495\/495.png","title":"Rehearsal for revolution: How theatre can improve disability healthcare ","id":"495"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/432\/posts\/494\/494.jpg","title":"Injecting Intersectionality into Art Practices ","id":"494"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/532\/posts\/485\/485.png","title":"Female voices of colour are making a groove on the nation's literary landscape","id":"485"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/538\/posts\/484\/484.png","title":"Is the actor an agent of colonisation who we are neglecting to address?","id":"484"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/381\/posts\/481\/481.jpg","title":"Supporting Minority Voices: Sydney theatre to watch in 2019","id":"481"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/364\/364_thumb.jpg","title":"Asian Australian art goes online","id":"364"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/361\/361_thumb.jpg","title":"Queer festival Fambo celebrates all kinds of families","id":"361"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/343\/343_thumb.jpg","title":"Natasha's Remedy for Healing: Creativity, plants and Ayurveda","id":"343"}]},{"issue":"Cost of Living","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-10 15.08.59.png","title":"I go to the store to buy milk ","id":"668"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/378\/posts\/471\/471.png","title":"Lentil As Anything","id":"471"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/248\/248_thumb.jpg","title":"Holiday gifts that actually give","id":"248"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/236\/236_thumb.jpg","title":"Humanising Homelessness with Sydney's Safe Space Kitchen","id":"236"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/29\/29_thumb.jpg","title":"#WeLiveHere2017: Fighting for the Towers One Post at a Time","id":"29"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/28\/28_thumb.jpg","title":"A Violent Solution To The Housing Crisis","id":"28"}]},{"issue":"Human Rights","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-05-15 13.47.59.png","title":"'Now is the time for empathy\u2019: new virtual museum to explore the UN\u2019s Human Rights declaration","id":"737"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/democracypendemic.png","title":"What does it mean to be a democracy during a pandemic?","id":"736"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-17 11.41.34.png","title":"Telling her story: the podcast challenging stereotypes of female imprisonment","id":"673"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-03-20 11.07.15.png","title":"Experts weigh in on what makes an effective protest ","id":"659"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-09-25 17.27.51.png","title":"Denying Asylum Seekers Medical Treatment \u2013 the Medevac law","id":"586"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/486\/486.jpg","title":"Fighting to end slavery in the 21st century ","id":"486"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/537\/posts\/482\/482.png","title":"An inside look at the Vixen Collective: the only peer-run sex worker organisation in Victoria","id":"482"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/345\/345_thumb.jpg","title":"Grandmothers Against the Detention of Refugee Children","id":"345"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/292\/292_thumb.jpg","title":"Why the Criminal Justice System is Failing Incarcerated Women","id":"292"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/218\/218_thumb.jpg","title":"Justice, but not as we know it","id":"218"}]},{"issue":"Alcohol & Drugs","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/300\/300_thumb.jpg","title":"Read the Vibe: the fight to keep Newtown weird, safe and unapologetically queer","id":"300"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/296\/296_thumb.jpg","title":"Court for Cannabis: The fight for a chronic cure","id":"296"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/269\/269_thumb.jpg","title":"What would drug decriminalisation do to Australia?","id":"269"}]},{"issue":"Employment","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/359\/posts\/pod_thumb_2.jpg","title":"The QUO Podcast: Ep 2 \u2013 Tilly Lawless, Gala Vanting on sex work during the pandemic","id":"741"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/453\/posts\/493\/493.jpg","title":"Australia's Seaweed Warrior ","id":"493"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/377\/377_thumb.jpg","title":"Your Tradie Has A Story: Hedayat Osyan's Social Enterprise","id":"377"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/371\/371_thumb.jpg","title":"Rural Australians for refugees: an enduring model of support?","id":"371"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/360\/360_thumb.jpg","title":"On My Feet: A unique approach to homelessness","id":"360"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/241\/241_thumb.jpg","title":"GROW: A mental health initiative for Australia's refugees","id":"241"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/109\/109_thumb.jpg","title":"Online vs. Campus: Which degree is getting us further in the career ladder?","id":"109"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/131\/131_thumb.jpg","title":"Female garment workers have their voices heard in new documentary","id":"131"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/238\/238_thumb.jpg","title":"Travelling the world on Addison Road","id":"238"}]},{"issue":"Housing","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/265\/265_thumb.jpg","title":"Deciding To Make A Difference","id":"265"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/236\/236_thumb.jpg","title":"Humanising Homelessness with Sydney's Safe Space Kitchen","id":"236"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/29\/29_thumb.jpg","title":"#WeLiveHere2017: Fighting for the Towers One Post at a Time","id":"29"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/28\/28_thumb.jpg","title":"A Violent Solution To The Housing Crisis","id":"28"}]},{"issue":"Policy","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/359\/posts\/pod_thumb_2.jpg","title":"The QUO Podcast: Ep 2 \u2013 Tilly Lawless, Gala Vanting on sex work during the pandemic","id":"741"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-04-21 10.45.25.png","title":"Experts offer unexpected solutions on how to increase public compliance and prevent a second wave of COVID-19","id":"674"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-03-20 11.07.15.png","title":"Experts weigh in on what makes an effective protest ","id":"659"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2020-03-19 15.36.50.png","title":"Climate Act Now ","id":"657"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/438\/posts\/504\/504.jpg","title":"A Brief History of Climate Terminology","id":"504"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/503\/503.jpg","title":"Jews for Palestine: In conversation with Naama Carlin","id":"503"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/486\/486.jpg","title":"Fighting to end slavery in the 21st century ","id":"486"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/537\/posts\/482\/482.png","title":"An inside look at the Vixen Collective: the only peer-run sex worker organisation in Victoria","id":"482"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/458\/posts\/478\/478.jpg","title":"Born a girl during China's One Child Policy","id":"478"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/534\/posts\/470\/470.jpg","title":"How de-funding of environment departments divides concerned citizens and government ","id":"470"}]},{"issue":"Multiculturalism","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/503\/503.jpg","title":"Jews for Palestine: In conversation with Naama Carlin","id":"503"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/532\/posts\/502\/502.jpg","title":"Multicultural Care","id":"502"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/388\/posts\/497\/497.png","title":"Bankstown Poetry Slam: A powerhouse of performance poetry ","id":"497"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/540\/posts\/492\/492.png","title":"Queer Muslims, Islamophobia and mental health in the wake of Christchurch","id":"492"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/539\/posts\/489\/489.png","title":"Three Australian Muslims talk solidarity after the Christchurch shooting","id":"489"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/538\/posts\/484\/484.png","title":"Is the actor an agent of colonisation who we are neglecting to address?","id":"484"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/533\/posts\/479\/479.jpg","title":"Breaking the taboo: Mental health in immigrant communities ","id":"479"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/535\/posts\/474\/474.jpg","title":"Project Coffee gives Chinese international students a safe space to say #MeToo","id":"474"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/341\/341_thumb.jpg","title":"What inter-Korean peace means to Korean-Australians and South Koreans","id":"341"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/337\/337_thumb.jpg","title":"Michael Mohammed Ahmad talks Sweatshop, fiction, and \u201cLeb\u201d identity.","id":"337"}]},{"issue":"Men's Health","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/382\/posts\/487\/487.jpg","title":"Boys don't cry: Talking mental health in the barbershop","id":"487"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/369\/369_thumb.jpg","title":"The power of the mo: How Movember is saving men's lives","id":"369"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/367\/367_thumb.jpg","title":"#YesAllMen must take responsibility for the darker side of masculinity","id":"367"}]},{"issue":"Sex","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/359\/posts\/pod_thumb_2.jpg","title":"The QUO Podcast: Ep 2 \u2013 Tilly Lawless, Gala Vanting on sex work during the pandemic","id":"741"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/542\/posts\/ep001_thumb.jpg","title":"The QUO Podcast: Ep 1 - JellyFilledGirls on demystifying lesbian porn","id":"675"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/537\/posts\/482\/482.png","title":"An inside look at the Vixen Collective: the only peer-run sex worker organisation in Victoria","id":"482"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/390_ethomas\/sexdiscrimination_thumb.jpeg","title":"Sex workers face financial discrimination","id":"250"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/95\/95_thumb.jpg","title":"Sex workers speaking for themselves","id":"95"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/31\/31_thumb.jpg","title":"Is This Real Life Project","id":"31"}]},{"issue":"Discrimination","articles":[{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/users\/359\/posts\/Screenshot 2019-10-28 18.59.39.png","title":"Strategic white tears: An interview with Ruby Hamad","id":"602"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/539\/posts\/489\/489.png","title":"Three Australian Muslims talk solidarity after the Christchurch shooting","id":"489"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/219\/219_thumb.jpg","title":"What is sexual racism?","id":"219"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.auimages\/users\/390_ethomas\/sexdiscrimination_thumb.jpeg","title":"Sex workers face financial discrimination","id":"250"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/268\/268_thumb.jpg","title":"The pay gap bowl-out in women's sports","id":"268"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/123\/123_thumb.jpg","title":"Sexual racism: Why do you swipe right?","id":"123"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/130\/130_thumb.jpg","title":"No to 'not all...'","id":"130"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/14\/14_thumb.jpg","title":"Quote me, baby!","id":"14"},{"thumb":"https:\/\/thequo.com.au\/images\/stories\/90\/90_thumb.jpg","title":"The Many Faces of Ableism","id":"90"}]}]

;

Story

Going against the flow: Making sustainable period products the norm

by Caitlyn Watts

Stories/476 , Issues/Sustainability , Issues/Women

Melbourne VIC, Australia

19th Dec 2018

The Sustainable Period Project educates young women to make informed, sustainable and comfortable menstrual choices.

I'm sure you can remember your first period. Some may describe it as the glorious moment of transition from girlhood to womanhood. For others, like myself, it's an embarrassing tale they'd rather forget. There was little glory to be found in the moment I stood up to exit the assembly hall at my primary school graduation and felt a strange, uncontrollable dampness. When I discovered the worst, I was too afraid to tell my family and friends, who were devouring the graduation cake in the classroom next door as I remembered the uncomfortable giggles during health class that resonated through those four walls a few weeks prior.

"This is a pad. This is a tampon", the teacher described.

In my seven years of menstruating, it's estimated that I've used around 1000 pads. On average, every user of disposable period products throws away one shopping bag worth of plastics, wrappers and products per period cycle, as over 1 billion pads and 700 million tampons enter landfill in Australia and New Zealand every year. Conventional pads are made of 90% plastic polymers, meaning it takes around 300 years to break down in landfill. While tampons have a much shorter decomposing rate— anywhere between 6 months and 5 years— their packaging and applicators mean that they take just as long as pads. The issue of wastage and responsible disposal hovers menacingly over our world today. According to the Education for Sustainability and the Australian Curriculum Project, the accessibility of high quality, classroom-ready resources and teacher training was severely lacking, and the Australian school curriculum is now making it a priority to implement an element of sustainability education into each subject.

Elizabeth Chapman, co-founder of the Sustainable Period Project and Operations Manager at Lunette Australia, says she received many emails from teachers asking for samples of sustainable period products to show their students.

"A lot of teachers don't even know what menstrual cups are or what sustainable period products are, let alone the students," she said.

"We found a study which shows that one of the biggest problems for teachers in teaching about sustainability was the lack of resources being made available."

Together with her two sisters, who share a background in the health professions, Elizabeth founded the Sustainable Period Project in 2016 and has since distributed around 1000 educational kits across Australia and New Zealand. The kits feature samples of menstrual cups, period underwear and cloth pads, as well as biodegradable pads and tampons for teachers to show their students during classes. The Sustainable Period Project produces learning resources for teachers, including PowerPoint presentations and quizzes, to help make it as simple as possible for teachers to incorporate sustainability education into their lessons.

Murdoch's Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy lecturer, Dr Sally Paulin says integrating sustainability into existing school subjects, rather than as a stand-alone subject, helps embed sustainable practices into everyday life.

"It's about how you incorporate sustainable ideas and concepts through all teachings so that it just becomes a natural thing," she said.

As a largely taboo and hidden part of life, it's no wonder there aren't more resources available for teachers on menstruation and menstrual products. Introducing the concept of periods can be awkward, for both teachers and students, with many preferring discretion over candid discussion. Despite being a vital part of the human life cycle, we discuss periods in a guarded way, as if we should be ashamed of them. This has many negative flow-on effects, one of which is women accepting the products they are exposed to early on in life as the only ones available to them. When researching for The Project, Elizabeth found a certain loyalty among women to their preferred menstrual product— most women continue to use the ones that they first encounter, for life.

Nagle Catholic College Secondary teacher, Stephanie Cremin, has taught The Sustainable Period Project as part of the senior level Children, Family and Community course. She showed her students the different menstrual options available and analysed the pros and cons of each product. Sustainable period products don't just help the environment, they can also help women feel confident, comfortable and in control of their bodies.

"I introduced it as part of the syllabus itself, first by looking at ways families can live more sustainably. Then, we looked at it as a women's issue," she said.

"Previously, with sex-ed, it's all been about pads and tampons and that's it - case shut, off you go. This is different because there are all these products out there that make life so much simpler."

As a women living with endometriosis and ovarian cysts herself, Stephanie knows just how important it is for young women to learn how to be in touch with their body and their cycle. She wishes she was exposed to these types of products when she was a teenager, and has made it her mission to pass on the important message to young women.

"It is quite daunting for a young girl to start with, and so just getting them to even consider something else other than tampons was tough. But the more we considered it and had conversations, they started to become more open to ideas."

Encouraging more of these discussions amongst communities is Maxine Petty, shop manager of Environment House in Bayswater. Maxine noticed women were hesitant to buy alternative menstrual products without touching them first, or knowing someone's who had tried them. After a successful Women's Shopping Evening saw over 40 women see the Sustainable Period Kit and walk out with a product they'd never used before, Maxine hopes to continue to draw people to Environment House and spread awareness amongst the community.

"I think we've probably sold to close 600 pairs of underwear," she said.

Maxine said cost was another factor that drew women towards reusable sanitary products. With the Tampon Tax being a topic of debate spanning nearly two decades in Australia, it is interesting to wonder why people don't further question the price of period products. If you buy a $10 pack of tampons every month, that's $120 a year, or $1200 a decade. It ends up tallying around $5600 over the course of your menstruating life. Instead, you can buy a $30 pair of underwear or a $50 menstrual cup and reuse it for years.

When interviewing all of these women and hearing them reflect on sustainable menstrual products, they all asked themselves the same question:

"Why didn't I know about this earlier?"

It's a question I too ask myself. If only my teachers had informed me about my options, I could have saved years of discomfort, embarrassing leaks and environmental destruction. I was told in that classroom that pads and tampons were my only options, and I had no reason to believe otherwise.

It's unfathomable that a function necessary for life is so stigmatised. Why are we only being taught about pads and tampons in school? Why are we encouraged to use products that destroy our planet, pose health risks, cost plenty and leak?

From a young age, women need to be educated about all menstrual products available to them and The Sustainable Period Project seeks to fill this gap, by providing a holistic education around menstruation. Elizabeth hopes it will empower women to make informed choices about what's best for them, their body and the world around them.

By 2020, The Sustainable Period Project hopes to have distributed kits to all secondary schools across Australia and New Zealand. If you would like to order a kit for your educational institution, visit https://sustainableperiodproject.org/resource-kit/.

See the bigger picture

What you're saying Issues Nearby

Become part of the QUOmmunity

Join Now

By signing up, you agree to The QUO’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

{"lat":"-37.8136276","lng":"144.96305759999996"}

There are currently no ${type} listed. Start promoting your ${type} with us by signing up to one of our subscription plans!