Almost a quarter of New Zealand girls and women have missed school or work because they've been unable to afford sanitary items.
That’s according to a new survey by KidsCan which incorporated interviews with 1,300 women and girls.
Almost a third of respondents were rangatahi aged 15 to 17.
KidsCan CEO Julie Chapman says the results confirm concerns voiced by teachers and principals about the number of girls missing school while on their period.
"As Kiwis we pride ourselves on leading the way in gender equality but this is a huge, hidden barrier to that," she says.
"For girls in low income families, education is the best way out of hardship- but they're being denied that chance because they can't afford basic necessities like sanitary items."
More than half of those interviewed said they had found it difficult to access sanitary items due to cost and a third had had to prioritise buying other items such as food, over sanitary items.
When they couldn't afford items, most resorted to toilet paper, using rags, old cloths and many mentioned using disposable or cloth nappies, according to the survey.
"We had to use a pad for an entire day to make them last and not go out for fear of leakage,” one respondent said.
“Condoms are given out like confetti but why not menstrual items?" another respondent said.
The survey was inspired by the Free Period Scotland campaign, which ran a similar questionnaire, producing similar results.
In August, in a world-first, Scotland announced all students would receive free sanitary items.