The embarrassment of generations of young women has been heard after the government has announced a budget to address period poverty.
The $2.2mil is seen as a pilot in addressing the governments' own statistics that show over 95,000 girls miss school every year due to not being able to afford sanitary products.
Member of the Whānau Ora collective Te Hau Āwhiowhio o Otangarei Janeen Kaipo says the voice of girls has been heard "because it's been going on for a long time".
"Discussions with our young ladies and our women about the issues of not being able to afford the product and because they're business products, they're starting to get out of our reach and they're a necessity."
Season-Mary Downs of the Tukau Community Trust says there have been people across the motu campaigning for years around period poverty.
"So it's so good to see that the government has paid attention. It's now on the agenda and getting a special budget allocation."
Downs says for the last three years the Trust has been providing menstrual cups to communities in Te Taitokerau.
"We've been having a fantastic response from women and girls who have been converting to the cups. They're telling us that it's taking a lot of pressure off their household and it's providing them with a way of feeling empowered around that time of the month."
Kaipo says, "We're not that old that we don't know what the wash and wear means and when it comes to looking at your household budget, you got a couple of girls in that house. With mum, that's around $40. You know, it could be for how long a period happens for them - it's not affordable. So out come the sheets and the towels and whatever and you do what you do."
Hundreds of girls have also written to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about their experience with this problem.
"We want to see women have a choice and our girls have a choice around it," says Season-Mary Downs.
She says it's the products and education that is needed as part of this moving forward with the budgetary allocation.