This graduation season, a familiar sight across Amsterdam came with an unexpected twist. While hanging a backpack from a flagpole typically symbolises celebration and academic success in the Netherlands, creatives Henrique Louzada, Victor Farias, and Elena Torrez, with support from creative agency WINK, used the tradition to highlight something else, a period poverty campaign they created pro bono.

The Neighborhood Feminists foundation, in partnership with period products brand, YONI, hung backpacks across Amsterdam printed with hard facts about a social issue that too often remains invisible – period poverty.

“The backpack on a flagpole is the ultimate symbol of achievement and opportunity,” stated Henrique Louzada, Victor Farias, and Elena Torrez. “Yet, for thousands of students, period poverty stands directly in the way of those opportunities. By bringing these two worlds together, we want to bring this social reality to light in a visual, undeniable way.”

The campaign, Backpacks for Change, transforms a symbol of success into an urgent call for solidarity and structural change, with statements such as “1 in 5 students had to replace pads with toilet paper” and “53,000 Dutch students missed school due to period poverty”.

Period poverty, the inability to access period products and information needed for a healthy menstruation, affects thousands of young people across the Netherlands. Yet, schools do not consistently provide free products or facilitate incidental donations. Neighborhood Feminists emphasises that a one-off, symbolic donation of products does not solve the root of the problem. Structural change is required.

The campaign is fighting for menstrual education starting in elementary school and free period products in restrooms; companies and employers to act as long-term sponsors for local schools for a reliable supply of free period products for those who need them; and local governments to acknowledge period poverty as an obstacle to equal opportunities in education and actively incorporate it into their poverty reduction and education policies.

Tammy Sheldon, founder of Neighborhood Feminists, stated, “Hanging a backpack from a flagpole is a unique tradition in the Netherlands. By printing these backpacks with research insights, we transform a symbol of achievement into a compelling call for solidarity. Access to education is a right, but too many students still face barriers that should not exist. No student’s academic journey should be paused because of their period. We hope this eye-catching street action leaves a lasting impact beyond graduation season and helps us banish period poverty from our schools for good.”