The UK government has announced £2m to support organisations around the world to end period poverty by 2030.

The minister for women and equalities, Penny Mordaunt, also announced £250,000 for the creation of a taskforce comprised of government departments, businesses, charities and manufacturers to come up with new ideas to tackle the problem in the UK.

In many countries, girls are forced to miss school when they have their periods, and use rags and paper to manage them.

In South Sudan a survey of school girls found that 83% of them use old cloths, goat skin or nothing at all each month. In Nepal, some women and girls are forced to live in sheds or huts when they have their periods, which has claimed lives.

“This is a global issue. Without education, women and girls around the world won’t be able to take the steps to reach their true potential,” said Mordaunt, in a speech on Monday.

“There are British entrepreneurs and businesses already doing fantastic work to tackle period poverty and I want us to partner and support them to really make a change to the lives of those who need it most.”

The campaign aims to reduce the stigma surrounding periods. Girlguiding UK found that 26% of girls aged 11 to 21 do not feel comfortable talking about their periods and 21% have been made to feel ashamed or embarrassed about it.

Lucy Russell, head of girls’ rights and youth at Plan International UK, welcomed the announcement. “We hope this welcome investment of resources will be used to address not just access to products, but the issues at the root of this problem – high-cost period products, lack of education and the stigma and shame that surrounds periods.

“Period poverty is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality and can have a serious impact on girls’ education. It’s therefore critical that efforts to tackle it are linked in with wider education programmes on sexual and reproductive health.”

However, campaigners have criticised a lack of immediate action from the government. How the money will be distributed globally is not clear.

“There is no excuse not to act now. Working towards 2030 for an international solution, means that another full generation of women and girls will continue to suffer period poverty in the UK, which is ridiculous,” says Pam Scobbie, founder of the Bloody Big Brunch, which hosts brunches around the UK, raising money to pay for period products.

Survey statistics collected by the Bloody Big Brunch found that 84% of people think distribution of period products in schools is equally important to or more important than the distribution of condoms.