Amika George is the powerful figure behind the famous #FreePeriods campaign, so I decided to ask her a few questions about her journey towards ending period poverty.

Amika George is an enthusiastic and dedicated social activist who is changing the world with her national #FreePeriods campaign, aiming to eradicate period poverty in the UK. Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial difficulty.

At 17, she began a petition advocating government funding for free sanitary products in schools. Within just a few months, she organised a 2,000 strong protest outside Downing Street to further her message of abolishing the taboo and introducing funding for menstrual products in schools. Considering one in 10 girls between the ages of 14 and 21 in the UK have been unable to afford sanitary products (according to research by Plan International), Ms George’s actions will be massively helping a substantial amount of the population.

Last year, it was announced the Scottish government would introduce a £5.2 million scheme to provide free sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities. According to the Treasury, the Department for Education will now introduce a similar scheme in England.

She has many achievements including the legal campaign she set up, a TED talk she presented, a Goalkeepers Global Goal Campaign Award she won and being part of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 class of 2018.

It is evident Amika George is positively impacting politics and education, so I decided to ask her a few questions about her campaign.

What inspired you to start this campaign?

I started the campaign because I heard that there were girls my age or as young as 9 or 10 even who were missing school because they couldn’t afford to buy period products. It really angered me, especially when the government refused to address a question about it in parliament. It made me realise how our needs as young women were being side-lined, and it made me feel like the only thing I could do was try and change that.

Through protesting and campaigning, you have achieved government funding for free sanitary products. How would you describe this journey as a whole?  

It’s been tough, but so worth it! I’ve spent the last two years campaigning and there have been times where it felt like it wasn’t going anywhere, but at other times it’s been empowering, satisfying and really exciting. It’s been incredible to see how engaged young people are, standing up for the rights of others, refusing to accept what they see as wrong, being vocal, being loud, being the total opposite of the definition ‘the snowflake generation’. I’ve been so humbled to see how much ending period poverty has mattered to so many. 

What was a memorable highlight of this process so far? 

I would say the most memorable thing was the protest. It was incredible to see over 2,000 people turn up with their faces smeared in red, holding banners with period puns, determined to stand up for those whose rights were being denied. It gave me a real sense of how activism unites people across all ages and genders, across every social sphere. We had actors, models, comedians, MPs all out to say we were no longer willing to be ignored.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond, announced in his Spring Statement that sanitary products in high schools and colleges will now be funded by the government, however some argue primary schools should also be included. What is your opinion on this and do you think the government has taken enough action? 

I think free provision in secondaries and colleges is great but my aim is to make sure NO child has their right to an education denied because of period poverty. So we need this pledge extended to primary schools, too. Periods start younger and younger and we want to be living in a society where every child can access their education without periods being a barrier.

You have achieved so much so quickly, and your future seems extremely bright and prosperous. What are you doing now and what are your plans for the future, both personally and regarding the campaign?

Thank you – I am at uni at the moment, in my first year, and it’s pretty intense! I want to work towards ending the shame and stigma surrounding menstruation, and I do believe that already, we are seeing some of those barriers being broken, and we are able to see more open and honest conversations about periods, and more men being part of the discourse. Periods should never be something that’s bound up in shame and embarrassment, and we all need to work together on that. 

If you would like to follow Amika George on her journey, make sure you follow her Twitter @AmikaGeorge