The Victorian government has announced the establishment of a Women’s Health Advisory Council in a bid to improve the outcomes of women’s health in the state.
The Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas chaired the Council’s first meeting this morning, funded under the Andrews’ Labor government’s $153 million women’s health package in the Victorian Budget 2023/24.
Minister Thomas said the Council is a step in the right direction towards improving the lives of the 3.3 million women and girls in Victoria.
“Listening to the experiences of women is fundamental to the success of our women’s health package and will inform the improvements we want to make to women’s health in Victoria,” she said in a statement.
Parliamentary secretary for women’s health Kat Theophanous is the deputy chair of the government’s advisory body, made up of 13 other members who will serve a fixed four-year term on the council.
“I’m honoured to serve as Deputy Chair of this council to embed equity into our health system and transform the way women access the support and treatment they need and deserve,” she said.
The Council will discuss how to reduce disparities in health outcomes on the basis of gender, how to enhance research into women’s health and how to strengthen the safety and quality of care for women and girls in the state.
Victorians will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Council by partaking in the Engage Victoria Survey from September 4-29.
The Victorian government’s announcement comes at the beginning of Women’s Health Week, a week dedicated to encouraging women and girls across the country to “Grow Your Knowledge”.
Premier Dan Andrews and his government, who have been praised for setting the pace for transforming gender equity in Australia, committed to investing $153 million into a women’s health package at last year’s election
Under the package, 20 new women’s health clinics will be established in the state to provide comprehensive care and support for women in Victoria suffering from endometriosis, pelvic pain, symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, among other health issues.
With the members’ professional and lived experience in women’s health, the new Women’s Health Advisory Council will ensure these clinics will provide the right care for Victorian women.
The government’s women’s health package is also looking at launching a new grants program to support non-government women’s health organisations in conjunction with the government’s latest announcement.
While New South Wales has a general Women’s Advisory Council, Victoria is the first state or territory to implement its own Council.
The Australian federal government has a National Women’s Health Advisory Council, which assists with the implementation of the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030.
With the launch of the Strategy, the government found women are 1.6 times as likely as men to suffer coexisting mental and physical illness. At all stages of life, women are also at greater risk of mental ill-health than men.
As Women’s Health Week begins this week, the Jean Hailes’ 2023 National Women’s Health Survey found nearly one in two Australian women have experienced pelvic pain in the last five years.
In the report, 28 per cent said the pain impacted their daily activities, and 45 per cent needed to take leave or an extended break from work or study.
Migraine and Headache Australia’s latest research shows three quarters of people living with migraine are women. What’s more, one in four reported having to leave their jobs due to the lack of support in the workplace.