Children and young people are learning and developing
Findings from the Youth19 Survey found 12 per cent of year 9 to 13 students who menstruate reported difficulty getting access to products due to cost. Approximately one in 12 students reported having missed school due to lack of access to sanitary products. This trend is worse for lower decile schools, but barriers to access exist for students in schools of all deciles.
New funding will provide free period products to schools. The roll-out started in term 3, 2020 at 15 Waikato schools and is being expanded to all state and state-integrated schools on an opt-in basis from 2021.
By August 2022, 2,085 primary, intermediate, kura and secondary schools were taking part in the initiative.