As Women’s Health Week rolls around for its 12th year, our CEO Dr Sarah White invites you behind the scenes. Find out what goes in to launching – and celebrating – the biggest week in women’s health this September.
Women are empowered to enjoy good health and wellbeing when they have voice, choice and power to make their own decisions about their health. So for Women’s Health Week this year, we are championing the theme #YourVoiceYourChoice.
In Australia, many women feel their voices are not heard when they seek health care. This was a grim finding of the Federal Government’s #EndGenderBias survey. Some women feel they can’t use their voice to advocate for themselves, ask questions or simply get more from an appointment.
For many women, health care choices are also limited. It could be that doctors with knowledge about a particular women’s health issue are hard to find. Or a lack of transport or childcare options make it impossible to get to an appointment. And all too often the costs are simply too high.
I was very privileged to be asked to chair the Empowerment Subcommittee of the National Women’s Health Advisory Council, brought together by Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney.
I was struck by how three simple words – voice, choice and power – capture what Women’s Health Week sets out to achieve. That is to encourage women to use their voice, to not be afraid to ask for what they want and need and thus transform the power relationship between a woman and her health professional.
Women’s Health Week means a few different things to me personally. I just love seeing the incredibly wide variety of community groups and workplaces taking the time to think and talk about women’s health.
I also love that we are normalising conversations about women’s health. We are seeing people acknowledge that women’s health is different to men’s health and that we don’t have to speak about women’s health issues in hushed tones.
I’m incredibly proud that the amazing work of the small but mighty team at Jean Hailes is being shared around the country.
Photo: Dr Sarah White, CEO, Jean Hailes for Women's Health with Hon Ged Kearney MP, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care.
We were delighted to welcome Assistant Minister Ged Kearney into one of our clinics to launch Women’s Health Week and talk her through some of our wonderful work.
Ged is an amazing advocate for women’s health. She is incredibly passionate and working hard to drive changes that align perfectly with our purpose – to see an Australia where sex and gender make no difference to health and wellbeing outcomes.
Ged was recently appointed Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health so it was a perfect opportunity to show her our new First Nations resources on women’s health issues.
I’m so proud of these resources, which we developed with First Nations-led organisations.
There’s still time and many ways to get involved in Women’s Health Week. You could sign up to our mailing list and print one of our posters to display in your workplace. Or perhaps have a coffee and chat with someone about women’s health. One courageous conversation with a loved one can make a huge difference.
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