Isobel Marshall

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Isobel Marshall (born 1998) is a South Australian social entrepreneur and medical student who was named Young Australian of the Year for 2021.

Contents

Early life

Marshall is from Adelaide's inner southern suburbs. [1] She attended Walford Anglican School for Girls and is studying a MBBS at the University of Adelaide. [2] [3]

Notable work

Marshall was 18 years old when she and Eloise Hall founded TABOO in 2017, a social enterprise to help women fight the stigma of menstruation, motivated by a trip to Kenya where she saw young girls who had dropped out of education due to menstruation. [4] [5] They crowdfunded $56,000, launching a range of ethical and organic menstrual hygiene products in 2019, with all profits going to African charity One Girl. [2] [6] They also partner with St Vincent de Paul Women's Crisis Centre to provide free pads and tampons to women in emergency accommodation in South Australia and with the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Women's Council. [2] [7] [8] Marshall and Hall direct and manage the company, as well as visiting schools to educate students about the cause. [9]

Award

Marshall was named Young Australian of the Year on 25 January 2021, alongside three other women: Australian of the Year Grace Tame, Senior Australian of the Year Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, and Local Hero Rosemary Kariuki. [10] In her speech upon receiving the award, Marshall said "Periods should not be a barrier to education. They should not cause shame ... Let's all commit to fighting period poverty around the world." [2] [4]

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References

  1. DiGirolamo, Rebecca (25 December 2020). "Our inspiration: 10 stories of South Australians' courage and integrity". The Advertiser. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lansdown, Sarah (25 January 2021). "Young Australian of the Year 2021 is Isobel Marshall". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. Brancatisano, Emma; Blakkarly, Jarni (25 January 2021). "An Aboriginal activist and an advocate for migrant women are among the 2021 Australians of the Year". SBS News. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 Burnside, Niki (25 January 2021). "Sexual assault survivor and advocate Grace Tame named 2021 Australian of the Year". ABC News. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  5. Changarathil, Valerina (10 December 2019). "TABOO founders Eloise Hall, Isobel Marshall driving transformation". The Advertiser. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  6. Goodall, Hamish (26 January 2021). "Isobel Marshall speaks about being named Young Australian of The Year 2021". Sunrise. 7 News. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  7. Gredley, Rebecca (25 January 2021). "Adelaide student Young Aussie of the Year". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  8. Evins, Brittany (23 August 2019). "Adelaide women launch business TABOO helping fight period poverty in Africa and locally". ABC News. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. Teakle, Luke (2 September 2019). "Tackling Menstrual Taboo". Broadsheet. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. Rudhran, Monisha (25 January 2021). "The Australian Of The Year Recipients Have Been Announced: Meet These Four Extraordinary Women". Marie Claire. Retrieved 26 January 2021.