Archive for category: Media Releases

You are here: / Media Releases

Major New Survey of Women’s Health in the ACT

/in , /by

The second Survey of Women’s Health in the ACT is officially open, offering all women and femme-identifying people aged 18 or older in the ACT and surrounding region the opportunity to share their health experiences.

The survey comes as Women’s Health Matters welcomes the Australian Government’s announcements aiming to make reproductive and sexual health care more accessible. These welcome changes reducing the cost of key treatments are the result of ongoing evidence-informed advocacy from national and state and territory women’s organisations. The Survey of Women’s Health in the ACT builds on this evidence locally to help us further understand the gaps and unmet need so that we can advocate to government for solutions.

This confidential survey takes a snapshot of women’s health and wellbeing in our community, providing critical insights that will help shape future health services and policies. The Survey of Women’s Health in the ACT is a key initiative supported by Snow Foundation and serves as a vital tool for understanding the current state of women’s health locally.

The first survey, conducted in 2022-23, received an overwhelming response from over 1600 participants. These insights have already helped inform the development of new services, guided government and funding bodies in identifying healthcare priorities, and empowered Women’s Health Matters to advocate for improved systems to support women’s health.

The survey is open to all women and femme-identifying people, as well as anyone who aligns themselves with these groups, who live in the ACT or surrounding areas and are aged 18 years or over. It is an opportunity for participants to have their voices heard and to contribute to ongoing efforts to enhance women’s health and wellbeing in our region.

The results from this survey will be instrumental in guiding future initiatives, policy decisions, and funding priorities to better meet the healthcare needs of women and femme-identifying people in the ACT.

Take part today and help us create a healthier future for all women in the ACT!

To complete the survey, visit: https://ow.ly/uuiw50UiGyo 
For more information: https://www.womenshealthmatters.org.au/womens-healthwellbeing/surveyofwomenshealth/

Media Contact
For media inquiries, please contact:
media@womenshealthmatters.org.au

Women’s Health Matters is the voice for women’s health and wellbeing in the ACT. We work to improve the health and wellbeing of all women in the ACT and surrounding region. We do this by improving women’s access to health information. We also do research to improve knowledge and understanding about the causes of health and illness for women in the ACT.

Snow Foundation, established by Terry Snow AM in Canberra in 1991 and led by his daughter Georgina Byron AM as CEO since 2006, is focused on fostering positive social change. It supports a range of causes, from grassroots entrepreneurial projects to established organisations and exceptional leaders working for social change. The Foundation is committed to catalysing community infrastructure and has a deep focus on youth-at-risk, domestic and family violence, being a respectful and useful ally to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and giving to women and girls through a gender lens – http://www.snowfoundation.org.au

Women’s Sector calls on next ACT Government to deliver on what women need

/in , /by

The CEOs of eight organisations supporting Canberra women today launched a joint election platform outlining urgent priorities to be addressed by the next ACT Government.

In launching the election platform, Lauren Anthes CEO of Women’s Health Matters said:

“the women’s sector is united in calling on the future ACT Government to commit to a number of critical and overdue actions that will lift women’s overall wellbeing as well as viably resource a skilled, feminised sector that delivers essential community services and represents the needs of women.

This is the first time the women’s sector in Canberra has come together to advocate for a suite of shared priorities. While there has been important progress towards gender equality in Canberra, women continue to experience inadequate access to health services, workplace inequality and high rates of domestic and family violence”.

Robyn Martin, CEO of Beryl Women, Australia’s longest running specialist domestic violence service, said:

“The women’s sector provides a range of vital services, including support to women experiencing poverty and homelessness due to domestic and family violence. But without adequate funding, our services simply cannot meet the demand in the community. This election is an opportunity for candidates to understand the pressures facing women and the women’s sector in Canberra and to address them in government.”

 

Kiki Korpinen, acting CEO of Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, said:

“This election is an opportunity for government to better support and respond to the needs of ACT residents seeking support in relation to
complex trauma as a result of sexual violence. CRCC acknowledges this important partnership and welcomes the opportunity to continue to work together with the government for the best possible outcomes for victim/survivors.”

The election platform includes the following calls:

 

1. Prioritise ending domestic, family and sexual violence

●Increase funding for women’s specialist services to keep pace with growing demand and additional case management needs. An undersupply in social and affordable housing and underinvestment in crisis support continues to impact on safety outcomes and must be rectified.
●Develop a comprehensive, intersectional, evidence-based strategy to end domestic, family and sexual violence in the ACT.
●Increase funding to crisis services to recognise children as individual users and to meet their additional case management needs.

2. Recognise and resource specialist approaches to end sexual violence

●Resource subject matter experts to develop a complex trauma model for responding to victim/survivors of sexual violence.
●Resource the expansion of sexual violence prevention and early intervention practices including training, awareness raising and driving social reform around recent and historical sexual violence.
●Commit to resourcing frontline crisis services providing crucial support to victim/survivors of sexual violence who are women, LGBTQIA+ or victim/survivors with disability.

3.Promote women’s health and wellbeing

●Increase funding for no cost early medication abortion to meet shortfall, including for management.
●Commit to an inquiry into forced sterilisation in the ACT.
●Commit to fund the ACT’s first residential perinatal mental health facility.

4.Value women’s work

●Adequately resource emergency placements for children aged 0-5 in early education so as to recognise the true-value of providing these services.
●Fund increases that reflect the projected increase in demand through a population-based model.
●Provide an incentive program for businesses to employ women who have experienced complex trauma or have recently exited prison.

5.Resource women’s policy

●Increase internal resourcing to the Office for Women to coordinate and drive gender equitable policy for women across government.
●Fund the development and implementation of the next ACT Women’s Plan.
To read the sector’s election platform, visit https://www.womenshealthmatters.org.au/news/what-womens-services-need-2024/

Media Contact:

media@womenshealthmatters.org.au

Women’s Health Matters is the voice for women’s health and wellbeing in the ACT. We work to improve the health and wellbeing of all women in the ACT and surrounding region. We do this by improving women’s access to health information. We also do research to improve knowledge and understanding about the causes of health and illness for women in the ACT.

Beryl Women provides professional accountable, trauma-informed specialist domestic violence service, which is based in principles of feminism, social justice and reconciliation, and recognises and fosters cultural diversity. Beryl has an ongoing commitment to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children, and women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Beryl works with women to ensure that they are empowered to make decisions about their lives and to support them in acting on those decisions.

Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) is a feminist organisation aiming to eliminate sexual violence within our community. CRCC provides comprehensive support including crisis phone lines, counselling and advocacy services to people impacted by sexual violence. CRCC also provides specialised services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as well as education and training programs.

Survey of Women’s Health in the ACT – Report Release

/in /by

Women’s Health Matters has released a major report aiming to make the health and wellbeing of women in the ACT visible through high quality data.

In an online survey of over 1600 people, Women’s Health Matters gathered information about people’s experiences of general health and mental health, health information and health services, sexual and reproductive health, pregnancy and parenting, discrimination, safety and violence.

Lauren Anthes, CEO of Women’s Health Matters, says surveys like this are important in identifying the needs of women.

“This major survey will help us to see where the health system could work better to address the needs of different groups of people, and where we need to remove barriers,” said Ms Anthes.

The survey found that while many people have good access to GPs, and benefit from high quality consultations, issues of cost and appointment availability make it hard for some people to get basic healthcare. The survey also found that many people experience poor access to mental health services, specialists, and healthcare at short notice and after hours, and many do not have access to satisfactory services for common reproductive health conditions.

“Datasets on women’s health in the ACT have previously been quite small, so we are impressed by the willingness of so many people in the community to tell us about their experiences,” said Ms Anthes.

On Wednesday 26 July, Women’s Health Matters hosted a launch event for the survey with stakeholders, government representatives and community members, including Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith, and a representative of the Snow Foundation.

Women’s Health Matters will use the survey results to continue to advocate for women’s health needs in the ACT and collaborate with relevant stakeholders and the community to do so.

This project was funded through a grant from The Snow Foundation and core funding from ACT Health.

The survey report can be found here.

Women’s Health Matters Statement – Report from the Inquiry into Universal Access to Reproductive Healthcare

/in /by

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee handed down its Report from the Inquiry into Universal Access to Reproductive Healthcare yesterday afternoon – 25 May 2023.
Women’s Health Matters (WHM) welcomes the report as a first step toward universal access to reproductive health care, including abortion care.

WHM CEO Lauren Anthes called the report a roadmap for implementing the Australian Government’s priorities in the National Women’s Health Strategy.

The inquiry highlighted the many the barriers to abortion access, including cost, the capacity of the health workforce, the complexity of funding through the Medicare Benefits Schedule system, and the information available women and people with uteruses.

We welcome the recommendation for a national telephone service to help women and people with uteruses find the information and services they need. This is something we’re lacking in the ACT, and which we recommended in our submission.

We’re particularly pleased to see recommendations that the Government commissions research and explore policy options around the impact of reproductive health on women’s participation in the workforce, and adequacy of leave under the National Employment Standards. This is something we recommended in our submission, and that we’ve been advocating for in the ACT.
Last year, we launched a Reproductive Health Policy to encourage other organisations and businesses to use as a template.

Our recent ACT Inquiry into abortion access and reproductive choice recommended the exploration of reproductive leave by the ACT Government.

Reproductive leave supports employees in their ability to adequately self-care in relation to their reproductive health, including menstruation, menopause, fertility care, pregnancy, miscarriage, and termination of pregnancy, while not being penalised by having to deplete their sick leave. It is important to acknowledge that reproductive health is not a sickness. Reproductive leave also seeks to remove the stigma and taboo surrounding reproductive health.

It’s exciting to see support for reproductive leave growing among our colleagues and government.

Women’s Health Matters welcomes report from the Inquiry into Abortion and Reproductive Choice in the ACT

/in , /by

The Legislative Assembly Health and Wellbeing Committee released their report from the Inquiry into abortion and reproductive choice in the ACT.

The report looked at the accessibility, affordability, information and legal protections for women and people with uteruses seeking abortion.

Lauren Anthes, CEO of Women’s Health Matters, says the report has helped identify barriers other than cost and is a step in the right direction.

“The ACT Government committed last year to making abortion free for all Canberrans. This will address one of the major barriers to abortion.

This report also shows that there are a range of other barriers which prevent people from accessing abortion, including stigma, the availability of appointments and information”, said Ms Anthes.

For this reason, WHM is pleased to see the Committee has recommended more investment in communications to raise awareness about abortion in the community and among services, and the different medical pathways and providers that are available.

Making 18 recommendations in total, including increasing availability of training for doctors to provide long-acting reversible contraception, to investigating the availability of ultrasound, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of abortion and reproductive choice in the ACT.

“The report means that the ACT Government has a clear mandate for improving access to abortion for women and people with uteruses and has worked out the steps that are needed to get there.

It lays out and recommends a path for improving reproductive choices, which is great news for the rights of women and people with uteruses”, said Ms Anthes.

Around 20 organisations, health providers and individuals provided evidence on the need to improve abortion access through detailed submissions, with some providing evidence at a hearing in October last year.

Critically, the committee has recommended the development of a Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy for the ACT. Across community organisations and health providers there’s agreement on the need for an overarching strategy to bring together work on sexual and reproductive health over the life course.

“It’s time for the ACT to look at this work in a coordinated way, that progresses sexual and reproductive health rights and choice for all Canberrans.

We look forward to seeing the ACT Government take these recommendations on board.”

WHM would like to acknowledge and thank the nurses, doctors and advocates who have worked and continue to work to make abortion available to Canberrans, some of whom contributed to this inquiry, as well as all the women and people with uteruses who have shared their stories.

Women’s Health Matters launches campaign to prevent harassment of women in public spaces

/in /by

Women’s Health Matters (WHM) has launched their Step Up! campaign to prevent harassment of women in public spaces.

The campaign will commence with a soft launch on Monday 6 March with the campaign to roll out in full by April 2023 in the Canberra City Centre.

Step Up! encourages everyone to step up and take a stand if they see disrespect or harassment of women and sits alongside the existing Canberra Safety Map resource.

Women’s Health Matters CEO Lauren Anthes says it is important to give people the tools they need when they witness this kind of behaviour.

“Everyone has a role to play in preventing violence against women. There will be many times when we see sexist behaviour and harassment of women even when we are not directly involved.

When this happens, there are lots of different ways we can step up. We can all take action to prevent discrimination and violence against women”, said Ms Anthes.

The Step Up! campaign aims to encourage the entire Canberra community to take action to improve women’s safety in public spaces across the Canberra region.

The project has been funded by the City Renewal Authority and Office for Women.

City Renewal Authority Acting CEO, Craig Gillman says the campaign has a focus on making the City Centre an even safer and more enjoyable place.

“The City Renewal Authority is so pleased to support the Step Up! campaign. Initiatives such as this are important in continuing to shape a diverse and vibrant City Centre where all members of our community as well as visitors can live, explore and thrive”, said Mr Gillman.

WHM hopes the campaign will encourage people to ‘step up’ and challenge disrespect and harassment of women.

“Research shows that violence against women is driven by traditional and harmful gender stereotypes that influence our attitudes and behaviours.

Violence against women is serious and common, but when you take action, you will have the support of most people around you. You don’t need to be a hero, there are little things you can do”, said Ms Anthes.

Minister for Women Yvette Berry says that safety at home and in public spaces is essential to full and equal participation of women and girls and is critical to the wellbeing of our entire community.

“The ACT Government’s key objectives of the Second Action Plan 2020-22 supporting the ACT Women’s Plan 2016-2026 is to build a community where women and girls are safe and supported to participate.

We are partnering with Women’s Health Matters to not only encourage women to speak up about the places where they feel safe or unsafe, but also for the general public to step up when they see inappropriate behaviour towards women and girls.

We all have a responsibility to build a Canberra that is safe and inclusive for everyone.”

Survey of Women’s Health in the ACT

/in /by

Seeking local women to share their experiences of sexual and reproductive health.

Women’s Health Matters (WHM) has released a new online survey of women’s health. WHM needs more people to complete the survey to make women’s health needs more visible in the ACT.
The survey explores what women have to say about sexual and reproductive health, access to services, experiences with health professionals and more.

Early analysis of the survey responses indicates that reproductive health issues are common, but many people are not able to get effective medical help, and many lack access to affordable GP and specialist care.

Preliminary data from the survey shows around 30% of people had persistent pelvic pain (PPP) in the last 12 months, while about 35% of those who sought professional medical help about PPP were dissatisfied with the care received. Of those who had PPP, over 60% had missed study or work commitments as a result.

Lauren Anthes, CEO of Women’s Health Matters, says this early data is already beginning to shape new understanding about women’s health needs.

“Australian jurisdictions are moving towards a more strategic and holistic approach to sexual and reproductive health. With the new data from our survey helping to make these health needs visible, the ACT will be better positioned to respond.

It’s quite confronting seeing that many women who have health concerns are perhaps not feeling like they can get effective medical help”, Ms Anthes said.

Significant numbers (around 15-20% of responses so far) are also reporting they have been diagnosed or treated for endometriosis and/or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), with many dissatisfied with the medical care they have received for these conditions.

Information about women’s sexual and reproductive health is a major gap in ACT-specific data. Most existing datasets are too small to allow detailed local findings despite sexual and reproductive health and rights being key measures of gender equality.

The survey also explores mental health, safety and discrimination, as well as access to healthcare and satisfaction with services. It is also hoped that the survey will expand ACT level knowledge about the experiences of marginalised groups.

This survey has been made possible through a grant received from the Canberra Foundations Collaborative earlier this year. Georgina Byron, CEO of The Snow Foundation says projects like this one are important to improve healthcare in the ACT.

“Having a strong evidence base focused on the specific experiences and needs of women in the ACT will identify trends, priorities and opportunities to improve the health and well-being of the Canberra community”, Ms Byron said.

You can access the survey here. You can read more about the survey here.

Additional funding to support abortion services in the ACT

/in /by

Additional funding to support abortion services in the ACT

Women’s Health Matters (WHM) welcomes the decision in the ACT Government’s budget to ensure that women and people with a uterus in our region have access to safe, accessible, and affordable abortion services.

From early next year, funding will be available for people to access free medical and surgical abortions for up to 16 Weeks. All ACT residents will be eligible for this service, including those without a Medicare card.

Lauren Anthes, CEO at Women’s Health Matters, says the new funding will help to alleviate some of the barriers that people face when trying to access abortions in the ACT.

“There are significant financial barriers to people accessing termination of pregnancy services in the ACT, particularly for our more vulnerable cohorts”, said Ms Anthes.
This funding and access for those without Medicare cards will help to reduce these barriers and allow people timely access to these services in the ACT.”

The announcement comes with an allocation of $4.6 million by the ACT Government to help address this pressure.

In addition to this funding the ACT Government has committed to the development of a communications package to help ensure accessibility and easier navigation of healthcare services available in the ACT.

“We welcome the commitment of funding to develop communications with stakeholders across the ACT to ensure that people will be aware and are able to access services”, said Ms Anthes.

“This will include the development of an accessible and easy to navigate website”.

This commitment from the ACT Government is a big step forward but there is always more that can be done to improve access to termination of pregnancy services in the ACT.

WHM will continue to work with the ACT Government to work towards universal access, including expanding the provision of abortion services after 16 weeks in the ACT so women and pregnant people do not need to travel interstate.

“The availability of the Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme for those who need to travel interstate is a welcome interim measure”, said Ms Anthes.

WHM looks forward to working with the ACT Government to support the implementation of this funding and welcomes the opportunity to support the development of a communications campaign.

Canberra Safety Map

/in /by

Canberra Safety Map – Women’s Health Matters is seeking local women’s experiences of safe and unsafe spaces to help inform Woden Town Centre redevelopment.

27/01/2022

Women’s Health Matters (WHM) is inviting local Canberra women to share their thoughts via the Canberra Safety Map, on where they feel safe, or not safe in the ACT region.

WHM is currently using the map to help inform the ACT Government’s Woden Town Centre redevelopment. The Government’s plan includes a new CIT campus and public transport interchange. The project aims to create new public places and green spaces to enliven Woden Town Centre.

All women who may visit or live in the Woden region are invited to contribute to the map and help in the development of this important project.

The Canberra Safety Map is an interactive tool that allows women to note unsafe and safe areas, along with adding a comment of their personal experience in those areas.
Vivien Bevan, Interim CEO at Women’s Health Matters, says it is important to consult with local women when considering large urban design projects such as this one.
“This map is an easy way for women to show where they feel safe, or not so safe in the ACT region. At the moment we are wanting to help inform the ACT Government’s Woden Town Centre redevelopment”, said Ms Bevan.

WHM’s believes it is important to have community consultation when considering projects of this level.
“We want to get as many women using the map as possible as we understand public safety through a gendered lens is important.
Women’s Health Matters is the voice for women’s health and wellbeing in the ACT, and through the Canberra Safety Map, we can put local women’s views forward to Government about their safety.”

The data collected will help Women’s Health Matters understand and advocate for improvements to the design of the Woden Town Centre redevelopment and other large scale urban design projects.

Privacy
Women can submit their opinions to the map either anonymously or opt to add their details.

Information used will be used in accordance with Women’s Health Matters’ Privacy Policy and CrowdSpots’ Privacy Policy.

Women’s Health Matters treats all information collected as private information and will only use personal information for the primary purpose/s for which it was collected.

Contact for Interviews
Women’s Health Matters
E: admin@womenshealthmatters.org.au

“I have to ask to be included…” research report

/in /by

“I have to ask to be included…” research report

1/03/2022

Women’s Health Matters has released our research report “I have to ask to be included…”, which focuses on the health and wellbeing of women with disabilities in the ACT.

The report shows that women with disabilities have poorer self-rated physical and mental health than the general population of women in the ACT, and experience significant barriers to getting services they need. These barriers include affordability, appointment availability and wait times, as well as challenges with transport, caring responsibilities, physical access needs, and the lack of ongoing, affordable options for preventative care and activities.

Vivien Bevan, Interim CEO at Women’s Health Matters, says that the information collected from this report will be key in helping to advocate for better health outcomes for these women.

“Around 15% of women with disabilities rated their physical health as good or excellent in this study, compared with 58% of women in our 2018 general survey by Women’s Health Matters.

“Mental health also emerged as a significant issue with half of all respondents listing their mental health as one of their top health concerns.

Troublingly, fewer than half of those who listed mental health as a top health concern had professional services or support to help with this issue”, said Ms Bevan.

Women’s Health Matters intends for the report to inform key government initiatives that impact women with disabilities’ health and wellbeing.

“It is hoped that the report will be a key resource for the ACT Government in developing the ACT Disability Health Strategy. The report highlights important opportunities to improve systems that are often inaccessible and discriminatory towards women with disabilities”.

The report makes 10 recommendations to improve local supports and services for women living with disability, across areas including mental health, health technology such as telehealth, sexual and reproductive health, health information, maternity and parenting, and employment.

Women’s Health Matters advocates for anyone in the ACT who identifies as a woman, especially those who are experiencing disadvantage.

Contact for Interviews

Women’s Health Matters

E: admin@womenshealthmatters.org.au

P: 02 6290 2166

Supported by ACT Health Directorate

QUICK EXIT