THE CODE RED STORY

Code Red is a female-founded South African business that was created to empower menstruating women. The name is derived from the colloquial expression used to denote a period is on its way.

 

Our purpose is to uplift women in the working environment while ensuring girls in the educational sector never miss a day’s schooling. 

 

We also want to do our part to reduce the amount of plastic waste caused by manufacturing sanitary products - which is why the sustainably sourced products that we provide to our subscribing companies are 100% biodegradable. 

 

The company was founded by Capetonian Gaby Stewart. While studying overseas, Gaby saw the efforts that educational institutions, companies and bars and restaurants made to ensure their female students, employees and clientele would never be caught out by an unanticipated period.

 

Returning to South Africa - a country where period poverty is a far more pressing issue than the one she saw being tackled in Scotland - Gaby was inspired to make a difference and Code Red was born.

 

The concept is simple: persuade companies to provide period products for their staff and in so doing provide much needed support to school girls who cannot afford to buy their own feminine hygiene products.