Caterina Giorgi

The federal election campaign unfolded over the past few weeks has showed us that policy matters and creating division does not work.

This election, we haven’t been hearing about people living in poverty, experiencing homelessness or battling with chronic illnesses.

As I prepared to deliver a keynote on the future of health promotion, I crowd sourced the worst and the best advice women have been given.

More than two-and-a-half years after the Jenkins Review was released, there are two outstanding recommendations. One relates to alcohol.

 I’ve seen firsthand the way that alcohol companies and their lobby groups work to undermine and stop reform in this country and globally.

Children can’t legally buy alcohole but despite this, alcohol companies and digital platforms can aggressively target them with marketing.

I want alcohol companies to stop trying to convince me and other mums that drinking is the answer to the pressures that we face.

Why was alcohol not mentioned once in the outcomes of the National Cabinet meeting on violence against women?

We need to educate the community on the link between alcohol and sexual violence, and it starts with the courts sending a clear message about consent.

In the next budget the government can make the choice to prioritise women, families and communities, writes Caterina Giorgi.