Women’s Health Services Conference - opening address

13 February 2025

Thank you for that warm introduction, Adele.

It’s a pleasure to be here to open the Victorian Women’s Health Services Conference for 2025.

I would like to begin by acknowledging the First Peoples and Traditional owners of this land, the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nations.

I pay my respects to First Nations peoples and cultures, and honour the strength of Aboriginal women and the space they have held in supporting Aboriginal communities for the longest time.

I also acknowledge the strong First Nations women whose leadership and advocacy are crucial to the progress we need in Victoria to close the gap. And I reaffirm the Victorian Labor Government’s commitment to a Treaty with First Peoples.

I was very honoured to be at the site in the Darebin Parklands just a few months ago when formal Treaty negotiations began between the First People’s Assembly of Victoria and the Victorian Government – and the sense of hope and determination was incredibly moving.

On our path to Treaty, we have heard from First Peoples through the Yoorook Justice Commission, the first formal truth-telling process into historical and ongoing injustices experienced by First Peoples in Victoria.

In the area of health, we have heard about the disparities in health outcomes, including having a life expectancy approximately 10 years lower than non-Indigenous Australians; we’ve heard about the higher burden of chronic disease and disability, and the high levels of psychological distress amongst First Nations people.

We heard about the systemic injustices present within the health system and the need to continue to embed genuine self-determination by transferring decision making to First Nations people to improve outcomes.

We also heard about First Nations people holding a much broader and more holistic concept of health and wellbeing that encompasses the physical, social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.

The stories shared were confronting, but not entirely surprising. First Nations people have been sharing truth to power for a long time.

What is clear is that governments still have a lot to do, including listening and learning from First Nations leaders and communities. First Nations women’s voices must be at the centre of that effort.

And it is one of the strengths of the Victorian Women’s Health Services that they put First Nations justice at the core of their ethos, alongside an equally strong commitment to addressing health equity for multicultural women, girls and gender diverse people.

This network lives and breathes a culture of inclusion that is increasingly, disturbingly, under threat in recent times. But you hold the light – and I know you won’t let it go out.

I would also like to acknowledge the Minister for Health, the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas who was unable to be here today but who sends her warmest regards. As you know I am fortunate to assist the Minister as Parliamentary Secretary for Women’s Health and it has been uplifting to have both a woman Premier and a woman Minister and a majority women in Cabinet to support us to propel an extraordinary amount of reform forward.

The Minister has put women’s health at the forefront of the Government’s health agenda and has been steadfast in her mission to deliver our transformative $153 million women’s health and wellbeing package.

Backed in by the Premier, Jacinta Allen and a fierce Women’s Health Advisory Council, we are creating a powerhouse of energy directed towards addressing the inequity of health outcomes impacting women and girls across the State.

That mission of course has not materialised from thin air. It has been growing incrementally, like a vibration that gets louder and louder, from the work over decades to advance women’s rights and women’s safety. The services you all represent are no small part of that generational groundswell that has meant that in this moment, in this time, we are able to make such tangible gains.

So it is truly an honour to be here with you all at the Victorian Women's Health Services 2025 Conference—you are leaders, practitioners, and advocates who work tirelessly to advance the health and wellbeing of women across Victoria.

I think the theme of this year’s conference—Connection, Growth, and Celebration—perfectly captures the essence of your collective efforts. It is a reflection of how far we have come and a call to action for the work that remains ahead.

Today is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the Women’s Health Services Network and your commitment to improving the lives of women across Victoria.

It is also a time to recognise the power of collaboration, as we continue to partner to address the systemic barriers women face in accessing the care and support they deserve.

And it’s a time to look to the future and the next iteration of reforms that will bring us closer to achieving our shared goals.

We know, of course, that women and girls make up more than half of our population. Yet our health and wellbeing continues to be overlooked and underdiagnosed.

It’s led to poorer outcomes, leaving many women and gender diverse Victorians feeling unheard or dismissed by our health system. And that has meant significant impacts on our quality of life.

As services which have evolved out of the women’s movement – you know better than anyone that women’s health is not just about health; it’s about equality.

Just as there is a gender pay gap, there is a gender pain gap. Just as women have less leadership roles, less safety, less security – so too they have less access to appropriate healthcare.

And by virtue of this, the challenge of addressing health inequality cannot only rest in the healthcare system. It takes cultural change, economic change, systemic change. It takes a consistent and targeted effort to break down stigma and create more inclusive communities.

This is where the Victorian Women’s Health Services shine, and why you have been such a rich and trusted source of knowledge and policy development for so long in this state.

It’s also why you will continue to be a vital part of our efforts to change women’s health outcomes.

The Victorian Labor Government and the Women’s Health Services Network share a deep and unwavering commitment to gender equality, reproductive justice, and accessible, and evidence-based healthcare.

Our partnership is built on the understanding that investing in women’s health is not only a moral imperative - it is an economic and social necessity. When women are healthy, families, communities, and entire societies thrive.

This commitment is reflected in our shared priorities of:

Advancing gender equality through systemic reforms and targeted initiatives that address the social determinants of health.

Preventing gendered violence by tackling the root causes of violence against women and ensuring that those affected have the support they need.

Improving mental health outcomes by expanding services that are trauma-informed, culturally safe, and accessible.

Enhancing sexual and reproductive health services so that every woman, no matter where she lives, has access to the care she needs when she needs it.

So where are we at and where do we need to go? Well, it’s sure been a big year for women’s health!

I am sure that many of you have been following the reform journey with us and we’re very lucky to have both Dr Adele Murdolo and Sally Hasler on our Women’s Health Advisory Council directly involved in this work.

But to recap: We kicked off last year announcing the Victorian Inquiry into Women’s Pain, which was met with an enormous response from right across the community.

Over 13,000 people completed the survey or made a submission, and the Women’s Health Services played a significant role in boosting engagement and bringing in diverse voices to make sure intersectional experiences were recognised throughout the inquiry. I am very grateful for the efforts of every one of you for that.

This immense response to the Inquiry did slow us down a little, as Safer Care and our partners have had to comb through all the submissions and surveys to help develop recommendations to improve women and girls’ experiences of pain and care.

One of the things that’s been really important to us is making sure the recommendations reflect and honour the lived-experiences women bravely shared – and outlining tangible solutions to the complex issues faced by so many on their patient journeys.

Having been involved in a range of forums across the state, I can tell you that there is simply no end to the stories women shared of being dismissed, told their pain was all in their head, told that our pain is normal, and that we just need to deal with it.

Not only is that utterly frustrating and devastating – it also leads to big delays in getting the care we need; sometimes years without a diagnosis or treatment; sometimes not before it’s too late.

Victorian women deserve more, they deserve to have their pain believed and investigated and treated.

I am excited to share that the Pain Inquiry Report and recommendations will be made available in the coming months and will no doubt continue the critical conversation about women’s pain and our efforts to improve outcomes in care for women. I know the Women’s Health Services will be part of these conversations.

In Victoria we have also continued our rollout of the $153 million Women’s Health and Wellbeing Package, which includes delivering 20 dedicated Women’s Health clinics by the end of 2026.

Five of these are now up and running, supporting women in the community through specialist multidisciplinary care. Another 5 locations have been announced.

These should be seen as a key avenue for women experiencing conditions like endometriosis, pelvic pain, PCOS, heavy bleeding, incontinence and prolapse, perimenopause and menopause.

Importantly, they are free to access - because as we know cost remains a significant barrier to care in our communities.

We have also continued our rollout of an additional 9 sexual and reproductive health hubs, guided by data to increase accessibility of reproductive health care in communities with low access. This brings us to 20 clinics now operating across the state.

These hubs have been a game changer for women’s access to support on all types of contraception, sexual health testing and termination services.

Our aim now as we look to the future it so strengthen these hubs and truly embed them in our health system because we know that when it comes to women’s reproductive rights – we need to stay vigilant.

To help us connect with women from rural and regional Victoria, we have also established the Mobile Women’s Health Clinic, which is operated by BreastScreen Victoria. The mobile clinic called Nina has already hit the road and will be visiting Daylesford next week.

This will soon be complimented by a new Virtual Women’s Health clinic. Last week the Minister and I announced the clinic will be operated by EACH and will be up and running in the middle of this year, supporting women to access specialist women’s health care through the phone and telehealth service. It’s a fantastic model – building on the success of services like Victoria’s Virtual ED, and will go a long way towards removing barriers to access.

This will be particularly helpful for women needing to access abortion services, helping to reduce time delays, creating easier access and offering free confidential services.

We know discrimination, bias and sexism have a profound impact on women and barriers to care can be compounded by other intersectional factors.

Which is why we are also in the process of delivering a dedicated Aboriginal Women’s Health Clinic this year.

It will be an important service and we’ll have more to say on it in due course but together with the 20 clinics, the 20 sexual and reproductive health hubs, the mobile and virtual clinics, Victoria will have an unprecedented network of services that is dedicated, coordinated and connected, with a single purpose - getting women access to the quality care they need; when they need it.

Excitingly, we are also laying the groundwork for the establishment of a Women’s Health Research Institute in Victoria to help bridge the huge gaps in our understanding of women’s bodies, our health issues, and effective, life changing treatments.

But because there is no time to wait, we are also currently offering grants to support dedicated women’s health research through our fantastic medical research sector – because we want to get that ball rolling immediately.

One of the things that really came into stark relief through our roundtables and consultations last year was that women need spaces to speak amongst themselves.

For so long, women’s health has been shrouded in mystery and it’s been taboo – maybe spoken about in whispers between sisters or friends, but so often not spoken about at all. That needs to change.

To address this, new health and wellbeing support groups are being funded specifically for women, and many of these support groups are now being run through the women’s health services network.

And we are also starting Pelvic Pain and Menstrual Health education in 400 schools, which will commence this term. Increasing education on women’s health from school age is incredibly important in promoting health-seeking behaviour and reducing taboos.

It’s complimented by our free period products in schools and public places initiative, and we are even trialling free period underwear for school students which has had really positive feedback and uptake.

We know of course that we will not get the outcomes we want from our health system if we don’t invest in a strong and informed workforce. So our women’s health package also includes scholarships to train more women’s health specialists.

More than 150 scholarships have been distributed so far and there are more on the way this year – offering chances to upskill in areas like IUD insertion, sexual and reproductive health, pelvic physio training, menopause and PCOS.

At the same time, we are working deliver Victorians a better-connected health system – one that ensures patients get the care they need, sooner, and in their own communities.

Backed by record investments – including record frontline workforce recruitment, record funding for hospitals and health infrastructure – the Government is establishing Local Health Service Networks.

These Networks are grouped together by geographic regions and will support improved cooperation between local services, ensure doctors and specialists are available to care for patients closer to where they live, deliver clearer pathways in and out of hospital, and support better waitlist management across a region. 

This is generational reform – and for me it demonstrates that when these golden moments arise; these moments where social licence, political will and funding opportunity come together – we need to take them and run as far forward as we can!

There is a big picture here about women’s health, wellbeing, safety and rights – one that intersects with many sectors and across many policy domains.

As Women’s Health Services, you see these intersects. You see how a cost of living crisis is playing out in homes where family violence becomes more acute.

You see where worrying political trends in the United States and even domestically put at risk our hard won reproductive rights.

You see where harmful online rhetoric and popular misogynistic personalities fray our social cohesion and make marginalised groups – and women – a target.

You see where housing insecurity leaves women and children vulnerable and where even well-intentioned systems reach breaking point under the pressure of the need that’s out there.

Victoria continues to be a leader in gender equality – but the work is never done. And in many ways, the challenges we face today pose a real and immediate threat to the gains we’ve made.

The resurgence of a deeply conservative, almost authoritarian politics that draws its energy from stigmatising otherness is something that should concern every democratically minded person.

Because as we are witnessing, there is absolutely no guarantee that progressive, socially democratic, inclusive agendas win the day.

That’s up to all of us to hold that light up – and why having a strong women’s health services sector remains so vital.

It’s also why in Victoria our Labor Government will not stop pushing the envelope when it comes to equality.

We will continue to work on delivering reforms that change culture, change laws, and change outcomes for women and children.

Whether that’s through out nation-leading family violence reforms, or through the work we are doing with schools to embed respectful relationships and curb the disturbing trends of online influencers.

We have also had the exciting announcement that Melbourne will be host to one of the biggest gender equality events in the world, the Women Deliver Conference 2026.

This event will showcase the regions efforts to advance gender equality and provide opportunities to strengthen and form new national and regional partnerships.

And of course, working closely with our federal counterparts we also saw the exciting announcement from the Albanese Labor Government this week of a $573 million women’s health package!

That has been really immense news, with:

The first PBS listing for new oral contraceptive pills in more than 30 years;

Increased Medicare rebates to improve access and affordability of LARCs;

Increased Medicare support for women experiencing menopause, with a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments;

funding to train health professionals, the first ever clinical guidelines and a national menopause awareness campaign!

Along with the first PBS listing for new menopausal hormone therapies in over 20 years and

More endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics!

I mean hats off to the federal government and the Ministers including Ged Kearney who have been intimately involved in getting that commitment up.

This is huge, and will make an enormous difference to women rights across the country.

Finally, I want to take a moment to celebrate all of you and your incredible work as part of the Women’s Health Services Network.

I’ve had the honour of visiting a great many of you, and getting to know you over the years across our shared work.

Your collective impact and as individuals, as organisations, and as a network are deeply significant.

The conversation regarding access to Abortions has never been so important, with the media engaging with the crucial questions around affordability and access, particularly for rural and regional communities. I know this is something you champion too.

Women’s Health Grampians produced the “tell your story” Report last year, capturing the lived experience of women and gender diverse people in accessing contraception and abortion services across the Grampians Region.

Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West worked alongside Deakin and the Centre for Australian Research to develop, “Mapping Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Regional Victoria”. Another fantastic report outlining the facilitators and barriers to accessing SRH services from both the patient and the provider perspective, and giving a snapshot of the service environment in a rural context.

Women’s Health Victoria launched the realising access report, the first of its kind in Australia, highlighting the availability of contraception and abortion services across the State, and where there remain access deserts. All of this is critical work that helps us to improve and hone in where it’s needed.

Importantly, this report sent waves across Australia, starting conversations about access in other States, and the fact that there are no comparable services to 1800MyOptions or its data collection capacity. I think we will continue to see the impact of this report for years to come.

Victoria is leading the Nation when it comes to access to reproductive healthcare, and it is because of the decades of work by advocates like yourselves championing the right to access. It lays the groundwork for Labor Governments to deliver even more when it comes to these critical services.

But I also know your work goes well beyond reproductive healthcare.

Women with Disabilities Victoria for example, working across policy, community, research and advocacy to improve outcomes for women with a disability and crucially highlighting the intersectional nature of gendered violence that contributes to the high rates of violence towards women with a disability.

This has had a profound impact in our collective understanding of prevention of violence against women across Government, the community sector and the wider population.

Women’s Health Loddon Mallee is on the ground in the community, connecting with organisations, clubs and community groups to support them in their commitment to progressing gender equality and preventing violence against women through their CARE Partnerships.

The Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health is a leader in the advocacy and education space when it comes to the health outcomes of Multicultural women, particularly migrants and refugees. I have the privilege of chairing the Minister’s CALD Health Advisory Group and hearing insights from Adele, in a space where there’s so much more to do to break down barriers and empower communities.

I also wanted to acknowledge my friend, Helen Riseborough who just finished up her role as CEO at WHIN. Helen has been there to offer me guidance and support ever since I was elected as the Member for Northcote in 2018. Her connections to the community and commitment to Gender Equality made her an incredible leader and I know she will leave a powerful legacy in the north.

The work of the network spans everything from supporting women in the workplace, to building gender equality into organisations, to breaking down barriers to healthcare for rural women, to offering peer support for women and collecting crucial data.

It is so significant to hear about these efforts on the ground to promote women’s health and wellbeing - and the complexity in translating theory into practice.

For me, this conference is a demonstration and reminder of our collective effort to advance gender equality as a key tool in achieving better health and wellbeing outcomes for women across Victoria.

There is always more to do. But make no mistake – we are at a critical point right now.

A point where the momentum of our efforts and resolve is hitting the friction of a very deliberate movement in the opposite direction.

We recognise that the support and partnership we have with the Women’s Health Services only strengthens our arm, sharpens our focus and pushes us further.

And while our road to health equity isn’t going to be simple or easy, rooms like this matter. And we will not sit down or be quiet.

Thank you for having me and enjoy the rest of the day.