Due to 'security issues' and 'fire risks', asylum seekers in Nauru do not have adequate access to menstrual pads or tampons.

Women must line up for long periods of time and ask male guards for pads, which are restricted to an 'as needs basis'. As a result, these vulnerable women are often not given enough sanitary products or are too embarrassed to ask for them, and must make do with material from tents or other pieces of material. 

Menstrual cups are an environmentally friendly option, are made from non flammable silicone, do not cause TSS, and are designed to last many years without the need for replacement. 

Although not all women may be comfortable using them, they should at least be provided as an option. Women should not be made to feel ashamed about their bodies, and if sanitary products are a fire risk, then menstrual cups are the obvious solution. 

Please tell Mr Dutton to give women in Nauru more options.