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The Empower Period Forum is a growing collective of young advocates who are delivering a programme of work focused on realising period equality in line with the government’s original target of ending period poverty and shame in the UK by 2025.
Worsening period poverty and shame in the UK bought together the Empower Period Forum to make change on a national scale.
Centring the experiences of young people, the Forum captured the diverse menstrual experiences across the UK.
Passionate about ending the cycle of disadvantage, advocates developed a national movement to amplify the voices of those with lived experience to politicians and organisations.
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Forum members came together to ensure those experiencing period poverty and shame were not left behind. As the pandemic raged on, the network became increasingly frustrated with the lack of national discussion and support for those experiencing period poverty and shame, despite growing evidence that the challenges were getting worse.
Throughout 2020, the Forum members hosted consultations to collect the diverse experiences of young people with periods to enable those with lived experience to lead. Young people across the UK collectively highlighted the cycle of disadvantage faced by those experiencing period poverty and shame: lack of adequate menstrual education resulting in poor access to menstrual health services. Passionate about making change to centre the diverse experiences, the Forum built a campaign that will end this cycle of disadvantage.
We’re young advocates passionate about ending period poverty and shame in the UK.
Nkechi Adeboye
Menstrual Health Advocate and Software Engineer
Terri Harris
Menstrual Health Specialist
Maria Than
Co-founder at Ricebox Studio, Outreach Officer and Child Rights International Network.
Heather Knox
Advocacy Coordinator, Days for Girls
Safiya Ahmed
Co-Founder of Ricebox Studio, Graphic designer and educator.
Gunita Cheema
Irise Communications and Advocacy Officer and Girls in Policy Founder
