{
  "id": 9599238,
  "title": "Cape Town period poverty activist takes grassroots to global stage",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/cape-town-period-poverty-activist-takes-grassroots-to-global-stage",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/capeargus/news/2026-09-24-cape-town-period-poverty-activist-takes-grassroots-to-global-stage/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Cape Town activist, Lindsay Adams, is making waves on the global stage after her grassroots campaign against period poverty expanded to support 167 schools. Adams founded and leads the organization #AgainstPeriodPoverty (#APP), which has now been recognized as an international finalist for the prestigious She Inspires Awards 2026 in the UK.\n\nWhen Adams launched #APP in Westridge, Mitchells Plain, she aimed to tackle the issue of girls missing school due to a lack of affordable sanitary pads. However, she soon realized that the campaign needed to evolve into a systemic movement addressing menstrual health and stigma.\n\nNow, #APP provides ongoing education and sanitary products to schools across Cape Town and neighboring towns, addressing period poverty as both an educational crisis and a humiliation issue. Adams highlights that girls often resort to using unsanitary materials like old rags, newspapers, or socks when products are unavailable.\n\nThe organization frequently encounters girls missing school due to menstruation, which can damage their confidence and self-esteem. Adams emphasizes that a sanitary pad is crucial for classroom retention and that period poverty should never dictate a child's education.\n\nCultural stigma remains the biggest barrier, particularly in societies where menstruation is still viewed as secret or shameful. Adams encourages girls experiencing period poverty to know that they are not alone and urges them to seek help from trusted teachers, friends, or organizations.\n\nLooking ahead, #APP plans to introduce student ambassadors, install sanitary pad vending machines, and integrate menstrual health education into the national school curriculum. The ultimate goal is to make sanitary pads free across the country, ensuring that no girl is held back by a natural biological process. The She Inspires Awards ceremony will take place in the UK on November 18, 2026.",
  "summary": "Cape Town activist Lindsay Adams has been named a finalist in the Agent of Change category at the 2026 She Inspires Awards for her #AgainstPeriodPoverty campaign, which supports 167 schools.",
  "key_points": [
    "Cape Town activist Lindsay Adams founded #AgainstPeriodPoverty to combat period poverty in schools.",
    "Organization now supports 167 schools with ongoing education and sanitary products.",
    "#APP aims to integrate menstrual health education into national school curriculum."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "GroundUp",
        "title": "Hundreds march through Cape Town against planned N2 wall",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/hundreds-march-through-cape-town-against-planned-n2-wall",
        "published": "2026-09-24T15:17:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "N2 wall protest turns spotlight on Cape Town's divide",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/n2-wall-protest-turns-spotlight-on-cape-towns-divide",
        "published": "2026-09-24T16:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}