top of page
Women Colleagues
Meet our Team 

About Code Red

       Code Red is Girl Scout Gold Award project created by Andrea Ramos. In order to combat period poverty in Texas, Andrea carried out educational, service, and advocacy efforts. To educate her community on this issue, she held a virtual Menstrual Equity Workshop and invited Girl Scouts from across Texas and also opened it up to the public. With 80+ registrations, Andrea hosted the event and invited guest speakers from the Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition, Menstrual Flux, and Alexa Atkinson, founder of Periods United to speak on the issue. At the event, Andrea also led the people through email and letter writing to Texas legislators to express their support for repealing the sales tax on feminine hygiene products. Following the workshop, Andrea was also a guest speaker at Code Crimsons' educational seminar.

       At the Harlingen, Texas Girl Scout Office, Andrea hosted a drive-through feminine hygiene product drive for Girl Scouts and collected over 1,500 donations. Andrea used these donations to create care packages. These were donated to Periods United to be distributed across shelters and schools in the Austin area. 

       On April 19, 2021 during the 87th Texas Legislative session, Andrea went to Texas capital to give public testimony at the Ways and Means Committee hearing in favor of HB 321 by Representative Donna Howard, which would make feminine hygiene products tax free in Texas.  Along with the other members of the Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition, Andrea rallied support for HB 321 and other menstrual equity bills by providing the public with advocacy scripts, contact information, regular updates, and steps to leave public comments. After a collective 2 hours of public testimony and 20 pages of written testimony in favor of HB 321, the bill was voted out of committee for the first time in Texas legislative history! While this was a great step forward, HB 321 later died in the Calendars Committee. Other menstrual equity bills I rallied support for were HB 1966 and HB 1967, both of which were signed into law! These bills designate July as Uterine Fibroids Awareness Month in Texas and create a database of demographic and treatment data for uterine fibroids, and creates a uterine fibroids awareness campaign in Texas. 

       To make this work sustainable Andrea (with much needed help!) created a website to further educate the public. With the creation of advocacy materials, informational resources, and articles Andrea is committed to encouraging others to also take up this cause. 

For more information on Andrea and her team, read below!
Meet Our Team

About Me

1998CAM_2022_01_07_10_40_09_FN.jpg

Hello! I am Andrea Ramos. I am a high school senior and full-time college student at the Univesity of Texas Rio Grande Valley. I am also a veteran Girl Scout, with 12 years under my belt; I am a hospital volunteer, member of the National Honor Society, member of the Lower Valley Cotillion Club, Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, AP Scholar, Land Stewardship Ambassador for the East Foundation, and member of the Texas Menstrual Equity Coalition. I have been previously active with Model United Nations and Student Government, and during the summer, I enjoy being a Girl Scout Camp Counselor. 

​

​

As a Girl Scout, I had always wanted to get my Gold Award, the highest award in scouting for a meaningful contribution to my community. However, I lacked the motivation to take action against any particular cause because I didn't feel a connection to it. When I began doing research on period poverty for a school paper, I saw my face in the girls and women I was writing about, and felt embolden to take action. As a Latina and RGV resident, I knew poverty was a serious obstacle for students in my area, with nearly 90% of RGV students living below the federal poverty line.

Not only that, but menstrual equity combined things I was am most passionate about: community service, health, and education.

I am so excited to continue working towards menstrual equity and bring awareness to period poverty with so many incredibly supportive people. I believe everyone deserves access to menstrual products and the ability to manage their health with dignity. Period poverty affects female students disproportionately, sometimes causing them to miss school. By making period products more accessible, we are giving low-income students, mothers, and young girls the opportunity to reach their potential, in work or in school. My Gold Award project has made me grow as a person, given me the confidence to tackle other issues I care about, and speak up for others. I owe much of my passion for community service and advocacy to Girl Scouts, which has built me to be a woman of courage, confidence, and character. I am very fortunate to have parents that supported me and my Scouting endeavors. Thank you, Mom and Dad. Huge thanks to my Gold Award Advisor and 2018 National Gold Award Girl Scout, Sarah Mercado, for guiding me along the way and being a totally awesome period poverty activist. 

​

I hope to use my Gold Award experience to encourage others to make a difference in their own way. I could not have done this without the help of a former Girl Scout, so to my fellow Girl Scouts, you've got this!

Feel free to learn more about me or contact me via my LinkedIn!

My Team

A huge thank you to all the people who helped make this project a reality. Aside from my team, I want to acknowledge my Gold Award Mentor, Sarah Mercado, my Troop Leader, Jodi Goodwin, my younger sister and cheerleader, Adriana, my friend Roxana Gutierrez, my parents, my teachers, and every single person who donated or participated in my workshop. I really appreciate every single one you and your dedication to helping me address period poverty in a meaningful way!

20200906_130319.jpg
Shreeya Kamal

Web page Designer 

My name is Shreeya Kamal and I am a rising junior from New Jersey. I am passionate about Biomedicine and want to major in Biomedical Engineering. I am on the girl's soccer team, Model UN, and the National Art Honor Society.  In my free time, I enjoy drawing and painting. 

​

Growing up in India, I was exposed to extreme poverty that shaped my identity as a human, but also a woman. At a young age, I witnessed how women would attempt to survive in slums while carrying full responsibility for their household. It was heartbreaking seeing them struggle and lack access to essential menstrual products. Not only did they struggle to access menstrual products, but they also faced increased cultural stigma. Many young girls are unaware of what menstruation is and the changes their body undergoes because it is not taught in some middle schools in India. A conversation about period poverty does not reach anyone's ear in public because such discussions around women's health are silenced and seen as taboos. This left many young girls, including me, feeling confused and ashamed of their bodies. 

​

Because of this experience, I realized that period poverty is a pressing issue that is oftentimes overlooked. With the help of Code Red, I aim to educate young girls about their bodies and empower them to talk about periods without shame. Something so natural should not be silenced and every women deserves access to affordable menstruation products.

​

Hi there! My name is Jachika Kaur and I’m a high school junior from Texas. I enjoy activities such as reading, biking, coding, and researching. In fact, I’m even part of a research program at my school.

​

While I have not personally been affected by period poverty, I have first-handedly witnessed period poverty in areas that do not have proper sanitary tools. Having beheld such circumstances, I steadily developed the desire to advocate for women’s health and rights. Especially as a widespread concern, I believe it is necessary to raise public awareness about period poverty in order to bring change. Period poverty is a complex issue that is often not given enough attention. Nevertheless, to me, the mission and initiatives of Code Red have provided a ray of hope for promoting period wellness and de-stigmatization.

 

As a team, we are continually working together towards ending period poverty and fighting the period stigma for a better future. I am very grateful to be involved in this movement and am excited for all of the advancements that are to come!

Jachika_Kaur_Image.jpg
Jachika Kaur

Efficiency & Impact Developer

Hey there! My name is Mireya Garcia, and I’m a rising high school junior from South Texas. I enjoy a good read and a great cup of black coffee. I participate in Model UN, Student Government, Varsity Cross Country, Book Club, and was Co-Captain of my school’s Varsity Cheerleading squad.

​

In addition to extracurriculars and Code Red, I host my podcast Okay, Let’s Talk… where I discuss social issues, pop culture, politics, and mental health with close friends, family members, and educators. I joined Code Red because of their dedication to spreading awareness about the complexities and realities of menstruation and their drive to implement actual change in South Texas. Members of Gen Z are taking action and voicing their concerns more than ever and are fostering an environment where injustices and inequalities will not go unchecked; this includes the injustice of the Tampon Tax- a tax that is put on menstrual products in more than 30 states across America. I stand with all those other menstrual movement and period positive activists because I know that this misogynistic policy cannot go on any longer. Black and Brown women are disproportionately affected by this tax because they are are more likely to live in communities where the incarceration and poverty rates are significantly higher than white communities.

 

Through my work in Code Red, I hope to raise awareness about the cultural stigma of menstruation, and I aim to help play a role in abolishing the Tampon Tax in Texas- even if it’s necessarily a minor one. No girl should miss out on receiving an education because of their period, and no menstruator should have to choose between purchasing their period products or purchasing food. I hope to see a future where women and menstruators can fulfill their full potential and not be constrained by their periods.

IMG5359821328330637889.jpg
Mireya Garcia

Public Relation

Hi, my name is Joshua Riley Richmond and I am a Highschool Junior from south Texas. I participate in Model UN and Varsity Cross Country. My education is very important to me and I plan on pursuing Veterinary Science in my near future. Outside of school, I invest my time in taking care of my animals, my mental health and well being of myself and others.

 

I was about eleven years old when I first understood the concept of a woman's menstrual cycle and was bewildered when I saw the inequality taking place against women. I grew to want to try and make a change in our modern world but had no idea how to help. When I first heard of Code Red I instantly wanted to be a part of a wonderful team taking charge in this worldwide issue. Period poverty and period stigma can't ever come to an end unless both women and men join the movement. Without all involved we can not gain menstrual equity so I joined Code Red to help by giving insight to the male psyche.

 

My goal is to assist in making men more aware of menstrual equity and period poverty. Spreading the education of the menstrual cycle and all the other subcategories involving it is the first step in making this world one where women no longer need to worry about their menstrual cycle. 

IMG_1624.JPG
Joshua Riley
Richmond 

Event Planner

Hi my name is Zoee Perez I am from La Feria Texas. I am in the 11th grade in high school. I enjoy writing poetry, playing softball and reading. A fun fact about me is that I am currently learning sign language because I think that one day it will be useful to use.

​

I joined Code Red because I think that it is an important cause that not many people know about. Period poverty is a major thing not only in the United States but many other countries. I wanted to join so that we can do many things to fix that and help people who don’t have access to those products. The spark for me wanting to make a change was that I always had this question about how homeless women deal with their period when they don’t have access to those supplies. I guess that I just wanted to help them because I know that if I were in that situation I would want help.

IMG5169495565340865989.jpg
Zoee Perez

TikTok Media Producer

Hi my name is Oasis Ortiz, I am 16 years old, and live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. I attend Idea College Preparatory school and I am in the 11th grade. An interesting fact about me is that I was born in Southern California.

 

I joined Code Red because I want to be a part of a team who wants to see a change in society and around the world about women's health. I want to help spread awareness by organizing service projects in my community to collect femenine hygiene products and also host educational events.

 

I decided to advocate for women's health because I want to inspire and educate young teens the importance of menstrual equity and encourage them to speak up about this topic. 

Oasis bio photo.jpg
Oasis Ortiz

Secretary 

​

Hi! My name is Bianca Rodríguez and I'm a highschool senior from California. I hope to major in a life science and want to go down the pre-med track. In my free time, I like to run, write poetry, and sleep.

 

I joined Code Red because I see how much period stigma there is around my culture and area and I wanted to make a change throughout the United States. The spark to join was my own grandma, who had to use newspaper as pads when she first came to this country. I see period materials as something that should be free, woman should not have to pay for a natural thing.

 

I hope to continue with this organization and continue to spark that conversation. 

IMG7115623727656417076.jpg
Bianca Rodriquez

Issue Briefings Editor

Hi, my name is Aleecia and I’m currently a junior in one of the many Idea schools found in texas. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t really do anything unless I’m interested in what said activity or group does. Although, being a junior even if the school year just started has made me realize that I’m growing up and has helped me start to shape who I am, and how I visualize myself and what I stand for. This group will be one of the major things that contribute to that. A fun fact about myself is that I love movies and everything about them. Especially the way the stories can be perceived by each person and how much a character can mean to those people.

 

I joined this group to push myself out of my comfort zone to challenge myself and explore the power that I know my voice can hold. I also joined this group because I wanted to help educate women on something I believe they should know about. I was moved by this movement because I not only knew the person who started this organization but it was happening in an area in which I lived, and I knew I wanted to be a part of something bigger than me. This was that thing.

 

I hope to see a place in the future in which discussions about periods are normalized and the expensive prices on feminine products are significantly lessened and are more accessible to women. 

IMG4920190294566589131.jpg
Aleecia 

Researcher & Proofreader

bottom of page