Blowing up the law – for equality and humanity

A few weeks ago, I joined an audience of innovators and game-changers in the legal industry at JD Horizons on the theme of ‘blow up the law.’ I was there in my capacity as director of Free Periods to accompany Amika George as she gave an incredible speech to an audience of legal influencers.  She talked about her journey campaigning to ensure that all schools provide free access to sanitary products. Amika said that she believed her ask to the government was simple: if you are on the free meals program, you should also be provided with sanitary products.  She was a 17 year old A Level student making a logical, unpolitical, humane request. But the government took no action, until the Free Periods team started to pursue legal action.  

The UK government has now pledged to provide products in all primary, secondary schools & colleges in England from early next year.  We need to hold the Government to their pledge and to also ensure that schools/colleges take up this access. Governments in Scotland and Wales have also offered to provide products.  But the campaign moves on. We have more areas we want to get this message out to – including Northern Ireland and EU member countries. 

The discussion at JD Horizons was more than informative. We had an ask. It was a simple ask, but fundamental to Free Periods and the campaign to ensure that sanitary products are provided in all bathrooms within compulsory education in pursuit of equality. As Amika explained, this request is not just a ‘nice to have’. It is to ensure that girls do not miss school because they do not have products. We know that 1 out of 10 girls in the UK miss school because they cannot afford to buy products and that 12% of girls have to improvise because of the costs.  There cannot be gender equality if we do not have equal access to education and we need to ensure that our laws reflect that. 

So what were the asks to the audience at JD Horizons? 

Ask 1: help us help those most in need by donating funds.  Although we have had incredible support on a pro bono basis from legal to PR, we still need money to function, to operate on a national and global platform.  

Ask 2: pledge to provide sanitary products in all your corporate bathrooms in the firms and businesses you work for in the legal industry and beyond.  We must change the culture of access to sanitary products. Sanitary products should be available in all bathrooms in the same way toilet paper is available. It is a basic need.  If we are serious about equality then there is nothing more fundamental than ensuring that bathrooms have what a woman needs for her basic bodily functions. At the event the JD team ensured that there were products readily available in the bathrooms.  It is not complicated. It is a simple gesture, but it is impactful.

We wanted the titans of industry to be part of this change.

I am grateful for the support of two male champions with regard to the work we are doing at Free Periods. When, over coffee, I was talking to Liam Brown, the founder of our parent company Elevate about the campaign and the work we are doing, his response was:  “What do you need?  What should we be doing as an organization?” Elevate have pledged to the two asks, which is no small task for a global organization. This is a campaign which hits two areas which are close to Elevate and its leadership’s hearts – equality and education. I feel very proud to be part of a business which pays so much more than lip service to these issues and strives to make positive change and address inequality.

I am also so grateful to Justin North and the team at Janders Dean for giving Amika a platform in front of so many game changers in legal.  Justin did not hesitate in wanting to help us on this cause. After one initial conversation he had come back with a list of possibilities and opportunities. He is a true collaborator and cares passionately about equality. 

What is also amazing is that on this day we all came together to focus on the bigger picture, to work to make a change to an injustice that limits true equality.  We showed that we can make a difference and that each incremental change will have a significant impact. The day was not just about innovating in business or law, it was about breaking what works and doesn’t work and fixing it.  

It is wrong that women are walking around with the equivalent of toilet paper in their handbags. That girls are not going to school because they cannot afford products. That they have to go to the nurse’s office to obtain products. Or that any women or girl is made to feel embarrassed that they have their period.  Access to sanitary products is as basic as it gets.

The support from the room at JD Horizons was incredible and together we made a dent in the universe.  I was truly humbled at the positive pledges to make change on this front. 

Thank you.

If you are a corporate and interested in supporting Free Periods, please can you contact me directly.