From Mitchells Plain to the World: The Fight Against Period Poverty
Lindsay Adams, the Cape Town activist who turned a grassroots campaign against period poverty into a movement supporting 167 schools, has been named a finalist in the prestigious She Inspires Awards 2026 in the UK. Her journey from the streets of Westridge, Mitchells Plain, to an international stage is a powerful testament to the resilience of South African women in the face of systemic neglect.
Adams, founder and CEO of #AgainstPeriodPoverty (#APP), is a finalist in the Agent of Change category. Her work, born out of a simple yet urgent observation, has grown into a systemic movement that challenges menstrual stigma and demands policy change.
Why Period Poverty Is an Education Crisis
“When I founded #AgainstPeriodPoverty in Westridge, Mitchells Plain, after seeing young girls miss school simply because they couldn't afford sanitary pads, there was no manual for a global stage,” Adams said. “There was this reality and an urgent need to protect a child's right to education.”
Period poverty, as Adams and her team have documented, is not merely a hygiene issue. It is an educational crisis that disproportionately affects Black and working-class communities, a legacy of the inequalities that apartheid entrenched. “When a family has to choose between buying a loaf of bread or a packet of pads, pads become a luxury,” she said. Some girls, she noted, resort to using old rags, newspapers, and socks when sanitary products are unavailable.
The organisation currently provides menstrual health education and sanitary products to schools in Cape Town and towns such as Worcester, Barrydale, Ladismith, Caledon, Malmesbury, and Riebeek-Kasteel. Adams and her team regularly encounter girls who miss several days of school each month, their confidence and self-esteem eroded by the shame and anxiety of not having access to basic products.
Restoring Dignity and Challenging Stigma
“A sanitary pad is far more than a hygiene product. It is a tool for classroom retention,” Adams said. “We aren't just handing out resources, we are keeping girls in class, restoring their dignity, and ensuring that a natural biological process never dictates a child's education.”
Cultural stigma remains one of the biggest barriers, particularly in communities where menstruation is still treated as something secret or shameful. Adams’ message to young girls is clear: “Your period is a sign of health, strength and life. It is not something you should have to apologise for or hide. If you are sitting in a classroom right now feeling anxious, or if you are staying home because you don't have access to sanitary products, please know that you are not alone, and you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
What’s Next for #AgainstPeriodPoverty?
For Adams, the international recognition is another step in a much larger campaign. #APP is introducing student ambassadors in schools to create support networks and encourage open conversations around menstruation. The organisation is also rolling out sanitary pad vending machines, giving learners discreet and immediate access to free products.
Its longer-term push is for menstrual health education to be incorporated into the national school curriculum and for sanitary pads to eventually be provided free of charge across the country as an essential item. This is not just a matter of charity; it is a matter of justice, of ensuring that no child’s future is determined by a biological process.
The She Inspires Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in the UK on November 18, 2026. Adams’ recognition is a reminder that the fight against period poverty is not just a local issue, but a global one, and that the solutions must come from the communities most affected.