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Date: 7/05/25
100 Empty Chairs: Hertfordshire Schoolgirls Stage Silent Protest to Tackle Period Poverty
Today (07/05/25), 100 schoolgirls at St Albans Girls School in Hertfordshire made a powerful silent protest by refusing to attend assembly. In a dramatic scene they left 100 empty assembly chairs to represent the thousands of students who miss school every week in the UK because of period poverty.
The protest was supported by the award-winning social enterprise company Hey Girls and coincides with the launch of the #OnePadAtATime campaign ahead of Menstrual Hygiene Day on the 28th of May. The protest was led by students who wanted to send a stark message and shine a light on the fact that period poverty is keeping girls out of education and it’s time to act.
According to recent figures from Plan International UK, 1 in 3 girls in the UK have missed school because they couldn’t access period products. As the cost-of-living increases, access to sanitary care has become even harder for families across Hertfordshire.
"It’s not fair that some of us can’t be at school because of something as simple as not having period products" said Lucy Jones, a year 11 student who was one of the protest organisers. "Silence speaks volumes.”
Her message was reinforced by Kate Smith, Co-Founder of Hey Girls. “Seeing those 100 empty chairs made this crisis impossible to ignore. Each chair represented a student who wanted to learn but was held back by stigma, silence and a lack of basic care. That should never happen in 2025.”
Photos for the protest show an eerily empty assembly hall, with rows of unfilled chairs marked with handwritten signs: “This seat should not be empty” and “Period products are not a luxury.”
The protest was organised by the students themselves, who wanted to communicate the story through absences rather than with noise. The protest was supported by local figures and campaigners, including Lydia Berman, Founder of Creative Stripes:
“These girls used absence as protest and it worked,” said Berman. “Their silence said everything. It’s now our turn to speak up and amplify their message as well as deliver the resources they need.”
The protest has already started local discussions about why access to period products in schools is key to equal access to education. Although some schools do provide products, it’s unreliable or only available if requested. The reality is many students feel too embarrassed or ashamed to ask.
The #OnePadAtATime campaign is calling for urgent change. It’s asking for local businesses, schools, and community leaders to take action and provide free access to period products, so no child has to choose between their education and dignity.
For more information on how to sponsor a school or support the initiative, visit: www.heygirls.co.uk/onepadatatime
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
About Hey Girls:
Hey Girls started as a kitchen table start up in 2018 and is now an award winning global social enterprise company. Proudly female lead, Hey Girls believes that access to period products and education is a right, not a privilege. The organisation works closely with schools, community groups and businesses to create access to safe, sustainable period care for everyone who needs it.
Website: www.heygirls.co.uk
About #OnePadAtATime:
#OnePadAtATime is a Hertfordshire-based campaign working towards ensuring schools and colleges in the county have free access to period products. The campaign calls on female led local businesses to fund schools so that no student misses out on their education due to lack of period care.
For media enquiries, interviews or further information, please contact:
The team at info@heygirls.org or call 07597901495
Assets Available for Media Use:
Access and download hi-resolution logo, campaign visuals, promotional video and infographics by clicking on the HERE.