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Hundreds of young period activists take to Westminster Streets to demand action on period inequality

On the 28th May, hundreds of young activist and period campaigners took to the streets of Westminster to raise awareness of the 148,675,312 lessons that are being missed every year due to a lack of access to period products and the shame surrounding periods in schools as part of the Every Period Counts campaign’s Period Parade.

To realise period dignity in schools, Irise International brought together young activists across the UK to launch campaign Every Period Counts, to shift the shame from young students back to those in power to bring a much-needed end to period poverty through shame-free access to period products in all schools.

The parade follows new research commissioned by Irise International, and Every Period Counts campaign allies Cysters, Freedom4Girls, InKind Direct, & Bloody Good Period finding that nearly half of all school girls are struggling to access period products at school, and 61% of girls have had issues accessing toilets in lessons when on their period, resulting in a third of young girls missing school to skip the shame.

As part of the parade, young activists were able to deliver a selection of the over 600 stories young people have shared about their experiences managing periods in UK schools and colleges as well as a list of policy asks to end period poverty, inequality, and shame in UK schools and an open letter signed by 21 leading period equality campaigners and organisations supporting the campaign.

You can support the Every Periods Counts campaign by sharing your own story of managing periods in UK schools and colleges or by writing to your MP to demand change.