WoW Woman in Femcare | Ruby Raut, co-founder and CEO of WUKA
Interview by MarijaButkovic
Ruby is a passionate environmentalist, constantly seeking out new inspiration by being involved in the environmental sector. She is co-founder and CEO of WUKA - UK’s 1st period underwear brand. In just under 6 months WUKA team have stopped 1.3 million tampons and pads from going to landfill. This is by customer switching from disposable menstrual product to reusable menstrual product like ours. She frequently does public speaking on breaking taboos around period and how to run an environmental /sustainable living focus businesses.
What is the idea behind your project/product, and how did you come up with it?
My passion and energy to develop WUKA stemmed from growing up in Nepal, where shame about periods was widespread. Nachune is the Nepalese word for periods; meaning ‘untouchable’, and she experienced a form of Chaupaudi, where she was not allowed to go out in the sun, look at men, or touch plants, (or I would kill them, of course!). After moving a thousand miles away, the problem of taboo was still the same, but the biggest concern was the single-use disposable waste. With WUKA, I was responding to the lack of innovation in menstrual products in 50 years with the current generation of products failing women, who report their most significant concerns as leaks/messiness. I also realised there was a massive gap in the market for a sustainable solution.
When did all start and do you have other members in your team?
We kickstarted WUKA in 2017 November with my co-founder Dave (also my husband) via Kickstarter and started trading from April 2018. Now we have a small team of 4 people and a few freelancers.
How long did it take you to be where you are now?
It’s been three years from concept to the execution.
What was the biggest obstacle?
The period pants tax is the biggest challenge we have right now. We are asking the government to recognise period pants as a menstrual product and tax us fairly not 20%. We want more people to be able to afford the sustainable choices of period products. Addition of this VAT makes the underwear look very expensive compared to tampons and pads. With the success of the petition, we at WUKA are pledging to
We will reduce our recommended price down to reflect the VAT reduction. Reduction in VAT means more people can afford to switch to reusable if you are buying WUKA now at £20, you will be able to get it for £16 that's a huge difference.
What are your most significant achievements to date?
Our goal is to have period pants accessible and available to everyone who needs them. Launching in supermarkets like Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Wholefoods were the biggest highlights of this year. We are currently in 214 stores in Sainsbury and online nationwide.
What are the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the niche you are in? How about being a female founder/entrepreneur?
The conversation around periods is always a difficult one to start. There is still a taboo around period. People don't share our content as easily as you would share any other. That gives less visibility in mainstream media. On top of that being a woman, a woman of colour means you almost have to justify that you are capable and you are better than many people in the room, especially if you are in a room full of male investors
What are the projects you are currently working on?
Our biggest project is to get the VAT rectified. Currently period pants are taxed at 20% whereas all single-use pads and tampons are taxed at 5%. We are, at the moment in the process of re-launching our first-period pack for tweens and teens. Each WUKA period pack comes with a book that helps every girl to understand the changes in their bodies, period pants and wash bag so that they can carry it to school, holidays whenever and wherever they need them.
Is #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
Yes absolutely. Still, there is so little representation of women in tech. The more women our younger generation sees growing up, the more positive impact we can make in society. Equal rights and equal representation is very much needed in our world.
What is the most critical piece of advice you can give to all female founders and female entrepreneurs out there?
Just watch this and share with as many friends you can.
What will be the key trends in the health tech and fem tech industry in the next 5 years and where do you see it heading?
Women’s health and tech is a super growing industry. Especially age-related concerns, such as issues around menopause, fertility etc. But I think male sex and reproductive health might be in the uprise. There are still many stigmas around talking about sexual health, especially among any health problem. Men don't like to talk/ show a vulnerable side. So a platform where we can easily have a conversation about sexual health could be here soon.
Who are your 3 inspirational women in health tech and fem tech?
I am very fond of Jacqueline De Rojas, CBE. She is an absolutely amazing and powerful person. Tania Bowler from Elvie is a true example of women in tech paving the way for many female entrepreneurs. Last but not least, Reshma Saujani, the Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code. I really admire her passion for bringing in more girls in the tech industry.
This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship and diversity. Follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic.