My name is Acushla Young, I completed my BA Geography undergraduate degree in 2018 at the University of Sheffield, followed by completing my MA in International Development in 2019, also at the University of Sheffield.
I now work as the UK Projects Manager for the most incredible charity based in Sheffield called Irise International. Irise works across the UK and East Africa to empower girls, women and people who have periods to reach their full potential.
The Geography Department at the University of Sheffield provided me with endless opportunities to develop my passion for realising social justice, primarily through the journey to achieving gender and period equity. In particular, Sammia Poveda and Daniel Hammett supported my passions throughout my time in the department and guided me through my MA dissertation, which was chosen by the Sheffield Institute for International Development as a nominee for the DSA Dissertation Prize in 2019. I was always able to tailor my research and written work to focus on issues of gender inequality and menstruation, from writing my undergraduate dissertation on UK women’s perceptions of period product advertisements, to evaluating a women’s economic empowerment programme in Uganda during my Masters studies.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, coupled with the recent UK Government aid cuts, the futures of hundreds of thousands of girls are now in jeopardy.
In the UK, period poverty now affects 3 in every 10 girls (an increase of 20% since the beginning of the pandemic), with a third of these girls too embarrassed to ask for support, so they suffer in silence.
In Uganda, the thousands of girls we work with are settling into their third national lock down, where they risk dropping out of school, being forced into early marriage and therefore never returning to complete their education to economic pressures their family face.
Irise will not let the most marginalised girls fall through the gaps. So we are stepping in to raise funds to support vulnerable girls to access the products and provisions they need to return to school, thrive and become leaders of their own futures.
We would LOVE to welcome anyone who is passionate about achieving gender equality to get involved; here’s how you can join us and champion girls’ rights:
- Sign up to join our Smash the Stigma fundraising challenge on Saturday 24th July! We will be marching through Sheffield in our best period-inspired outfits to dismantle period stigma and raise funds to support our UK work, followed by a period picnic in Endcliffe Park!
- Sign up to the 5000 feet for 5000 girls challenge and climb the Yorkshire 3 Peaks with us on Saturday 21st August! We will be climbing over 5000 feet to raise funds to get 5000 girls back into school in Uganda.
Just £10 in the UK and £5 in Uganda provides a vulnerable girl with the essential provisions and support she needs to return to her studies and achieve her dreams.
I managed to have books, I can now take care of myself after the education and counselling from Irise. This knowledge will help me complete my studies."
Nakakande, 14, from Uganda
If we act now, we can protect the futures of thousands of girls across the UK and East Africa.
Any questions please get in touch with Acushla Young on acushla@irise.org.uk