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Menstrual Justice Committee
Building the youth-led movement for menstrual justice
Irise International’s youth board is made up of menstrual justice activists aged 18-30, working to shift power, challenge stigma and build a stronger youth-led movement for menstrual justice across the UK.
Each member is at a different stage in their activism journey and brings diverse lived experience, community knowledge and understanding of how menstrual injustice intersects with poverty, racism, disability, faith, LGBTQIA+ identity, gender-based violence, migration, education, healthcare and access to public life.
Together, they shape Irise’s strategy, campaigns, research, advocacy and programmes - ensuring our work is led by the people closest to the issue.
Our Strategy
Irise dismantles menstrual injustice by channelling power and resources to young activists and grassroots leaders, sustaining them as powerful forces for systemic change, and advocate for others to do the same. We centre those facing intersecting forms of oppression, ensuring menstrual justice is embedded within broader social justice movements. Bold in our ambition, we refuse to work within the existing system, modelling new paths for a more just and liberated future.
Why Youth Activism?
Menstrual shame and stigma begin at birth, persist through life, and are inherited between generations.
Young people represent a powerful and critical intervention point to break this cycle and end menstrual injustice within a lifetime. Young people facing intersecting forms of oppression are often at the sharp edge of injustice, yet they are consistently underestimated and excluded from decision-making spaces.
By centering youth voice, we unlock fresh perspectives and bold innovation for young people to learn from each other and contribute to wider systemic change.
Meet The Committee
(in alphabetical order)
Alice
She/Her
A menstrual health researcher and advocate with a Master’s in Women’s Health from University College London and a background in immunology and pharmacology.
Daisy
She/Her
A project manager, menstrual cycle coach and menstrual health advocate based in Bristol, founding a book club dedicated to menstruation, running workshops at festivals and events across the UK aimed at reducing stigma around menstruation and encouraging empowerment through body literacy.
Leckhna
She/Her
A medical student based in London and a menstrual justice advocate with a particular interest in healthcare, culture and displacement.
Molly
She/Her
A multi-award-winning women’s health and rights activist and the founder of the Love Your Period Campaign, known as Wales’ “big sisters for all things growing up.”
Anvi
She/Her
A period activist whose work began at the Girls’ Day School Trust, where she helped organise free period products for students and staff. She loves talking about all things menstrual health from cultural perspectives.
Dani
She/Her
An International Development who is passionate about menstrual justice and brings both global and UK perspectives to her advocacy. Her work in Sub-Saharan Africa has given her insight into the wide-ranging impact of menstrual injustice, experience she draws on to inform her efforts in the UK.
Libby
She/Her
A Sociology student at Sheffield Hallam University and a menstrual justice advocate with a strong interest in policy, power and systemic change.
Ruby
She/Her
A Law student at Cardiff University motivated to break down stigmas surrounding menstruation.
Charlie
She/Her
A menstrual activist and artist who runs a theatrical venue Called The Womb Tomb her crew of Period Vampires give out free period products and use humour to break stigmas, hold discussions and educate people in a safe space.
Grace
She/Her
A relationships and sex education teacher based in Manchester, working for the wellbeing charity Brook, where she delivers empowering period education to young people.
Millicent
She/Her
A passionate advocate for period equity, disability justice and social change. As a care-experienced and autistic activist, she draws on her lived experience to challenge the barriers.
Shaden
She/Her
A menstrual health advocate whose passion for this work began when she took part in menstrual health workshops which inspired her to become a menstrual health champion.
What do they do?
Ensure Irise’s work is truly youth-led
The Menstrual Justice Committee makes sure young people are not just consulted on Irise’s work, but actively shaping it. Members bring lived experience, community insight and activist expertise into the heart of our strategy, research, campaigns, advocacy and programmes - helping us stay accountable to the young people and communities most affected by menstrual injustice.
Members also represent Irise and the Committee in wider movement spaces, from conferences, advocacy networks, parliamentary events and partner meetings — they strengthen the wider menstrual justice movement by connecting lived experience with evidence, community leadership and practical routes to change.
Peer-Support and Learning
Activism can be powerful, joyful and transformative - but it can also be demanding. The Menstrual Justice Committee is a supportive space where young people can build relationships, share experiences, develop skills and sustain their activism over time.
Members take part in peer learning, skills-sharing and masterclasses shaped around the needs and interests of the group. These may include topics such as:
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social media content creation and digital campaigning
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faith-inclusive menstrual justice
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protecting yourself as a young activist, avoiding burnout and
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getting paid, and navigating working with brands and funders
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public speaking and storytelling - influencing policy and decision-makers
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becoming a charity trustee or movement leader
Alongside an annual in-person activism retreat, bringing the Committee together to build relationships, deepen their understanding of menstrual justice and develop collective plans for action.
The Ambition
We want the Menstrual Justice Committee to become a properly resourced platform for young menstrual justice leaders across the UK. With further funding, we could invest direct funding to young leaders, wider-access to peer learning, mentoring and paid opportunities to help young activists lead change safely and sustainably.
Young people’s activism is a powerful lever for change.
If you like what we stand for, get in touch to support this work.