Bilingual Health Education
Whether you’re new to the ACT or have lived here your whole life, it’s important to know where to go for your health and have access to accurate health information when making decisions about your health.
To help with this, WHM’s Bilingual Health Education team delivers free health information to women and gender-diverse people from multicultural, migrant and refugee communities across the ACT on a range of topics including sexual and reproductive health, mental health and navigating the local health system to name a few.
Our team of highly skilled and accredited educators understand the lived experiences of, and challenges faced by migrant and refugee communities. The support and information provided by the team is completely free, culturally informed and sensitively delivered. Health education sessions can be developed and delivered in:
English
Cantonese
Hindi
Kannada
Khmer
Mandarin
Punjabi.
You can check out what the sessions will cover in more detail here.
If you would like to book a session or contact the team, please email himl@womenshealthmatters.org.au
Sexual and Reproductive Health
We know that it can feel awkward or difficult to talk about our sexual and reproductive health, even with a doctor or health professional. Sexual and reproductive health isn’t just about sex or reproductive organs, it includes all things related to our bodies and relationships – like healthy relationships, consent, periods, contraception and just generally understanding our bodies.
It is important to know about your health even if you aren’t having sex (now or in the future) or if you don’t yet know if you want to have children. Having access to quality, non-judgemental and supportive healthcare helps you to stay in control of your sexual and reproductive health.
As part of the Health in My Language program, our educators can share health information and support on the following topics:
- Contraception Choices
- Safer Sex
- Understanding Menopause
- Pregnancy Choices
If you would like to learn about any of these topics in-person or online, contact a.khan@womenshealthmatters.org.au
The Health in My Language – Sexual and Reproductive Health project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Resources:
Where to go when you need help for your health.
Meet the team
Anushe Khan – Health in My Language Project Coordinator Read more »
Anushe leads the Health in My Language program at Women’s Health Matters as the HiML Project Coordinator.
Having personally experienced the challenges of navigating the healthcare system after moving to the ACT as someone with lifelong chronic conditions, Anushe understands the barriers faced by those who may be new to Canberra and seeking support.
Before joining WHM, Anushe worked with state and national peak bodies, advocating for better health outcomes and access for multicultural and multilingual communities. This experience has provided her with information on the challenges faced by women from diverse backgrounds when it comes to accessing healthcare.
She hopes to leverage the insights and outcomes gained from the project to strengthen WHM’s advocacy on improving health access and system responsiveness within the ACT.
In her spare time, Anushe enjoys cooking for friends and family, being a pretty average plant mum, and picking up a new craft hobby every month!
Kate Chen – Bilingual Health Educator Read more »
Meet Kate!
Kate is a passionate social worker and community educator with extensive experience in therapeutic counselling, domestic and family violence, healthcare, community development and education.
She is dedicated to providing empowerment and support to clients from a trauma-informed framework.
As well as working at Women’s Health Matters as Bilingual Health Educator, Kate is also a Social Worker with University of Canberra Hospital.
In her spare time, Kate enjoys reading, camping, watching TV dramas, and going to music concerts. She also likes playing Nintendo Sports and keeping up with fashion trends videos to explore her styles. She is a dog person and is crazily obsessed with cute pet videos!
Bormey Ken – Bilingual Health Educator Read more »
Meet Bormey!
Bormey’s experiences as an international student and her work with non-profit organisations promoting women’s rights has given her a unique perspective on the challenges women from diverse backgrounds may face in accessing healthcare.
She understands how accessing health care as international students or non-citizens can be challenging, especially when there are language and cultural barriers and financial constraints.
As a Bilingual health Educator at Women’s health Matters, Bormey plans to deliver health education program in both Khmer and English Languages.
She hopes that she can help break down language and cultural barriers and ensure that more women in ACT have access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their health.
In her spare time, Bormey enjoys a variety of activities, including cooking, hiking, travelling, and functional training as they help her manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Fouzia Jabeen – Bilingual Health Educator Read more »
Meet Fouzia.
Fouzia is a Bilingual Health Education Officer at Women’s Health Matters.
Fouzia comes with a rich experience in the healthcare industry, having worked in India for more than 20 years in the medical transcription industry.
She began her career as a medical transcriptionist, and after coming to Australia she joined the COVID-19 Response Team in NSW Health and worked in the public health space before taking up her most recent role as a Bilingual Health Education Officer in Community Services.
Fouzia acted as the contract tracing ambassador for the COVID-19 multicultural communication by participating in interviews and voiceovers in Hindi and Urdu languages targeting culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
In her spare time Fouzia loves to spend time with her family and adores her two kids. She has a passion for gardening and interior design.
Nehad Shaaban – Bilingual Health Educator Read more »
Meet Nehad!
Ever since Nehad was a child, she has been driven by a love for knowledge and a deep curiosity about the human experience. Education and counselling are not just a profession for Nehad, they are part of her personality. She finds great fulfillment in sharing knowledge.
‘I firmly believe that the more I share and distribute the fruits of my knowledge to others, the stronger and more rooted that tree of knowledge becomes.’
Nehad has been involved in giving lectures to women in charitable associations, covering topics related to family relationships, general health, and mental well-being.
‘As an immigrant myself, I deeply empathise with the struggles faced by newcomers, and I understand first-hand the hurdles they must overcome to live a healthy life.’ ‘To contribute to my new community, I volunteered in my children’s public school to assist non-English speakers in our language, taking on various roles within the community as an advisor and educator for mums. These experiences further fuelled my determination to carve a new path here and overcome the obstacles that came my way’.
Having witnessed the hardships faced by refugee and immigrant families, particularly mothers, Nehad hopes to fill gaps and provide support as a mental and family counsellor. Her goal is to help these women with diverse backgrounds as they navigate the challenges they encounter, guiding and empowering them towards a more positive mindset and healthier lives.
Nehad is currently studying a Master of Counselling to expand her knowledge and better serve immigrant and refugee women. In her spare time Nehad enjoys meditation, chess, writing stories and poems, and taking long walks.
