MAM
South African newspapers use ‘blood stain’ to spotlight period poverty
Campaign highlights that one in three schoolgirls lack period products.
MUMBAI: The headline wasn’t the first thing readers noticed. A bright red stain splashed across newspaper front pages did that job stopping eyes, raising eyebrows and, ultimately, sparking a conversation many would rather avoid. Readers of several South African newspapers were left puzzled this week after spotting what appeared to be a red ink blotch spread across their front pages. What looked like a printing mishap, however, turned out to be a carefully crafted campaign designed to bring period poverty into sharp public focus.
Created by agency Joe Public in partnership with The MENstruation Foundation and Independent Media, the activation appeared across publications including The Star, The Mercury and Cape Times.
The red mark was deliberately designed to resemble a menstrual blood stain and was accompanied by a stark message: “A newspaper can absorb the blood, but not the shame.”
The campaign shines a spotlight on a persistent challenge in South Africa, where millions of girls and women continue to lack access to basic menstrual hygiene products. According to The MENstruation Foundation, many schoolgirls are forced to rely on newspapers, rags or toilet paper during their periods because sanitary products remain unaffordable.
The organisation estimates that one in three schoolgirls in South Africa experiences period poverty, a problem that contributes to missed classes and disruptions to education. The foundation currently distributes free sanitary pads to approximately 100,000 girls every month.
Its co-founder, Siv Ngesi, described the objective as making period poverty “front-page news,” quite literally.
The execution carries a powerful layer of symbolism. Newspapers, once used as makeshift menstrual products by girls unable to access sanitary pads, became the very medium used to expose the issue. By recreating a menstrual stain on newsprint, the campaign transformed an everyday object into a visual reminder of an often-hidden reality.
The activation quickly gained traction on social media, with users praising its simplicity and impact. Many also shared personal experiences of menstrual stigma and the difficulties associated with accessing period products.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising, where brands and social organisations are increasingly moving away from sanitised depictions of menstruation.
India witnessed a similar turning point in 2020, when Nobel Hygiene’s RIO Pads campaign featuring Radhika Apte became one of the first television advertisements in the country to depict menstrual blood in red rather than the industry’s long-used blue liquid. Since then, brands including Carmesi and Pee Safe have pushed for more realistic and open conversations around periods.
Beyond its social message, the South African campaign also serves as a reminder of print media’s enduring creative potential. In an age of endless digital scrolling, a simple red stain on a newspaper page managed to achieve what many campaigns struggle to do: stop people, make them look twice and start a conversation that matters.
