UK activist Amika George is urging world leaders to stamp out period poverty after visiting a World Vision menstrual hygiene project in Zambia.
Amika says: “A 14-year-old girl in Kenya killed herself last week after a schoolteacher period-shamed her in class. This terrible incident should be a wake-up call for the world. Period stigma is not a trivial issue or simply a matter of insensitivity.
“Governments everywhere need to step up their efforts and consign outdated attitudes towards menstruation to history. They need to implement sustainable solutions to period poverty and educate men and boys about this natural process.”
Amika launched her Free Periods campaign against period poverty in the UK in 2017. The teenage campaigner successfully lobbied the UK government to provide free menstrual products in schools and colleges earlier this year. She is now calling on other governments to follow suit.