Delhi Teen Wins Diana Award for Campaign Breaking Menstrual Taboos

When a tenth-grade classmate broke down during midterm examinations in 2023, Aadvik Jain stepped in to help. The Delhi student escorted his close friend to the school medical room, where she revealed the cause of her severe distress: “I’m on my period. And I’m having really bad cramps.” That moment exposed how deeply menstruation remains concealed in everyday Indian society, prompting Jain to act.

Today, the 18-year-old leads Team Period, an initiative he launched in 2024 alongside classmates Shivansh Arora, Aaratrika Jha Anand, and Navya Manglik. On November 4, Jain’s efforts to dismantle menstrual stigma earned him international recognition as one of 198 young people from 44 countries named to the prestigious Diana Award.

Challenging Taboos Through Youth Action

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Diana Award honors individuals aged 16 to 25 for exceptional social action and humanitarian work. Organizers announced this year’s recipients during a globally streamed virtual ceremony. Indian youth represented a major portion of the global cohort, securing 49 of the honours.

Jain began his work while studying at Amity International School through Youth Power, a community project run by the school’s student newspaper, The Global Times. Team Period initially operated as a four-student competition entry, holding workshops, street performances, and awareness campaigns while expanding local access to menstrual pads and products. A key pillar of their approach involved breaking gender barriers by holding separate discussion sessions for boys and girls before bringing them together for open dialogue.

Reflecting on the guidance that shaped the initiative, Jain acknowledged teacher Sonia Rao, stating, “Our work wouldn’t be possible without her guidance and support.”

A Growing Class of Indian Innovators

Jain shares the international honour with several other young Indian innovators addressing urgent social issues. Among the 49 Indian awardees is Shiv Mandlik, who created a bendable pole to keep construction workers off dangerous heights and designed an app to detect accidental falls. Krish Aggarwal was recognised for designing an affordable air filter that attaches to standard household fans to cut indoor air pollution. Meanwhile, Kushal Sachdeva, who began feeding a starving street dog at age 11, was honoured for building Protect Paws—an organisation that has assisted over 1,500 stray dogs with medical care, vaccinations, and reflective collars.

Jain envisions a future where open conversations replace social stigma entirely, asking, “Dad, I’m having really bad cramps, and I can’t go to school today,” as a normal household statement. Looking ahead to his own next chapter, the activist plans to begin studying medicine and public health at the University of Bologna in Italy in February.