Code Red: The Equality Emergency

This Menstrual Hygiene Day (today, 28 May), charity Sanitation First is launching Code Red, a campaign to raise awareness and support for our work helping woman and girls suffering from debilitating menstrual taboos throughout India.

Code Red is a multi-pronged campaign led by social media activation of the iconic artwork Your Body is a Battleground, originally by Barbara Kruger, which has been recreated as an interactive instagram filter.

Inspirational people and brands around the world are joining the movement to face inequality, such as  Anoushka Shankar, Sharmadean Reid, Lola Kirke, Grace Campbell, Ayesha Shand, Alice Manners, Honey Ross and Lou Teasdale. Brands who have cosigned the movement are  Wool and the Gang, Diem, Hello Serena, Onetrack and Brides Do Good.

The campaign comes in response to the current situation In India where 1 in 5 girls drop out of school when they start their period, amounting to 23 million annually. Dropping out perpetuates a cycle of poverty and inequality. Often leading to child marriage, and greater mortality risks for women and their future children. However, to stay in school girls battle against poor sanitation, lack of education around menstruation, and cultural taboos. Educating girls is heralded as a key way to achieve all 16 of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals globally and for just £10Sanitation First provides the eco pads and menstrual education needed to stay in education.

Want to help? Post an Instagram Story using the Code Red filter and tag five friends to do the same and to donate to the charity’s fundraising page, which can be found here.