About the programme

We know there are many ākonga | students who don’t always have access to the products they need. This can mean missing school, sports and cultural activities when they have their ikura | period. We aim to remove that barrier by providing access to period products.

Currently, an estimated 97% of menstruating students in these schools and kura can access period products through our programme. Any state and state-integrated school and kura can choose to join.

Private schools can choose to provide period products themselves.

At the moment, the programme is funded until June 2028.

Our name, Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata

We worked alongside Dr Ngahuia Murphy, a kaupapa Māori researcher and educator, expert in cultural practices and knowledge surrounding menstruation. We were able to understand that, traditionally, Māori regarded ikura as a powerful symbol of whakapapa | genealogy, and the continuation of whānau | family and hapū.

The time of menstruation was tapu | sacred and menstruation had a standing of prestige.

Ikura comes from the phrase ‘Mai-i-Kurawaka’ meaning ‘menstrual blood that comes from Papatūanuku, the Earth Mother.

'Manaakitia te whare tangata' means to uphold and take care of the whare tangata (the house of humanity, womb, uterus or temple).

How to opt in to the programme and order products

Schools and kura can opt in by emailing us with your school details and best contact person.

Email: [email protected]

We will set you up with an account for ordering products through OfficeMax.

Supplies – OfficeMax

If you are not sure if your school has already opted in, check the list on the page below. If you don't know your login details, contact us.

Available products

Schools and kura can order:

• regular pads
• super pads
• overnight pads
• tampons
• liners.

Most products are unbranded.

How much to order

We encourage schools to provide enough products for a full cycle, not just for occasional use. That includes for use at home, including during the school holidays.

This works out as about 2 or 3 packs of product, per menstruator, every month. More products can be ordered per student as needed.

More guidance is provided to schools and kura on the OfficeMax ordering portal.

How to provide products to students

It is up to your school to decide how you want to distribute products.

This may be from:

• bathrooms
• a teacher
• a counsellor
• accessible storage cupboards
• any other safe communal space where students can discreetly access products without having to ask
• the school office.

Brown paper bags are also available to support students to discreetly access and take products home.

Dispensers

You can choose to have dispensers installed at school. To do this, work with OfficeMax to identify the number of dispensers and most suitable locations where students can easily access products discreetly.

Your school is responsible for ordering products and restocking dispensers. Contact OfficeMax if a dispenser is damaged and needs to be replaced.

Sanitary bins

Your school is responsible for the day-to-day management of appropriate sanitary disposal.

Resources

Schools can order printed copies of these resources through their OfficeMax account.

Supplies – OfficeMax

Reusable products trial

The Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata Period Products in Schools initiative trialled reusable period products in 7 schools during Terms 1 to 3 2023. The products that were available for the trial included period underwear and menstrual cups.

While an independent evaluation of the trial showed that some students benefitted from access to reusable products, we will not be rolling out reusable products in schools at this time. This is because it would require additional resource from schools and would be less practical in a school setting. It would also not be cost-effective because both reusable and disposable products still need to be available.