It’s 2016, and women’s health and human rights are still being threatened by the negative stigma around menstruation and other women’s health issues like incontinence. Fed up with the stigma, high-tech underwear label Modibodi ™ and world-renowned body artist Jody Steel joined forces to present this everyday, common issues in a beautiful, celebratory way.
Modibodi™is a revolutionary Australian company that designed a line of high-tech underwear that gives women superior protection without needing a disposable liner, and are on a mission to empower women with their products and by breaking down negative taboos around everyday women’s health issues.
Jody Steel is a 21-year-old LA-based social artist known globally for her thought-provoking body art including the viral ‘Body Image’ time-lapse video that has been viewed over 100 million times.
Together, Modibodi™ Founder Kristy Chong & Jody Steel have created ‘Our bodies can be messy, but they are a work of art, let's end the shame’ an artistic, expressive video designed to explore and beautify common female taboos such as periods, incontinence, sweat, body hair, discharge, breast milk leaks.
Modibodi™ Founder, Kristy Chong says “if we are ever going to get equality and have female empowerment and self-love, then we need to change the way society views these common, everyday, natural bodily functions. No matter your socioeconomic status, geographic location, age or size we are all affected by these issues in one form or another, yet women still have such a negative association of the issues.
"For too long common everyday issues like periods and incontinence have been viewed as shameful and something to hide from in society, we surveyed our customers and found 90% said they felt societal views around women’s issues were shameful and gross. We wanted to show our customers and all women that these everyday, common bodily functions are not something to be ashamed of and in fact these functions largely exist because of the most important human function of all, childbirth.", states Kristy Chong, Founder Modibodi ™ “I decided to do this video for Modibodi with my sister and we dedicated it to my mom. As a woman we have a lot going on down there, and periods, sweat, discharge all these things are seen as taboo, but really our bodies are amazing and beautiful pieces of art, and we should not feel ashamed. I admire Modibodi because they empower women with their products, plus they were founded by a woman"- Jody Steel
“It's high time we started to participate in active conversation in our own way to normalise periods and female taboos. So many parents agonise over 'the talk' they need to have with their daughters nearing puberty, and constantly post queries on how to approach the topic, on social media groups. Women leave the maternity ward, just like Celebrity Chrissy Tegan not expecting a dramatic change in their bodies such as bladder leakage, and then when it happens they are silenced and feel shameful and alone. If we start the conversations early in a positive way, we can remove female taboos and create equality,” concluded Kristy.
To watch the time-lapse video visit our Facebook page here and join the conversation.
