Tampons and sanitary pads sent to Australian Immigration minister Scott Morrison in protest over supplies for refugees
Minister Scott Morrison has reportedly been sent sanitary products after his office was accused of sanctioning products to women in detention centres
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Australia’s Immigration Minister received tampons and sanitary towels in his post box from protesters against alleged restrictions on sanitary products for refugees.
Destroy the Joint, an Australian online feminist group, asked its supporters to ''say no to the bloody humiliation of refugee women'' by sending unused sanitary products to Mr Morrison’s office.
A day after the project was started in late December, #stopthetampons was trending on Twitter in Australia.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the campaign follows claims by RISE (Refugees, Survivors and Ex-Detainees) that some women in detention centres were forced to ask security personnel for tampons and pads, and were allegedly sanctioned to one or two products at a time.
In an online article, RISE cited a piece posted on the Australian Democratic Socialist Party website who reported from a visit to the Wickham Point detention facility.
Victoria Martin-Iverson wrote that: ''Sanitary pads are doled out one at a time, so women need to repeat the humiliating ritual of requesting a fresh one each time they needed to replace a soiled one''.
However, Sophie Peer from Chilout, an organisation that campaigns to end the detention of children, told The Sydney Morning Herald that: ''We don't have recent evidence that this is happening, that people have to ask for them one by one,'' after RISE cited an old investigation by the group.
But she said women were given packets of menstrual products at a time, and stressed women may feel humiliated by having to ask male guards.
She added that the situation could easily be improved.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has rejected the claims that female asylum seekers are not being given the correct provisions as “baseless.”
A spokeswoman told the Australian newspaper said that women are given sanitary products ''on request, on demand, no limit'' as well as when they were put into detention.
''We don't know where this has come from, but it's nonsense,'' the spokeswoman said.
''The policy hasn't changed since the previous government. It's just completely false and misleading,'' she added.
Mr Morrison's office had reportedly received ''about half a dozen'' packages containing sanitary products within days of the campaign beginning.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments