Geelong women and girls invited to share healthcare experiences

GEELONG’S state Labor MPs are encouraging women and girls across the region to share their healthcare experiences and make a submission to the women’s pain inquiry.

The inquiry, announced by premier Jacinta Allan earlier this year, aims to examine the systemic issues and gender bias often experienced by Victorian women when seeking pain support and medical care.

To raise awareness of the inquiry and to assist the Geelong community to prepare their submissions, Geelong MP Christine Couzens, Bellarine MP Alison Marchant, Lara MP Ella George and South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman, will next month host a forum.

Spearheaded by Ms Couzens, the event will feature a presentation by Kat Theophanous, the parliamentary secretary for women’s health, and a Q&A with a panel of experts.

Bellarine MP Alison Marchant said the women’s pain inquiry was “so important and so needed”.

“It’s clear women’s and girl’s health needs more attention,” she said.

“While the Allan Labor government is consistently expanding health services available to women and girls, we know there is more to do and we’re ready to listen.”

Lara MP Ella George said the forum was “an opportunity to put women’s health front and centre” to “ensure women’s pain does not continue to be overlooked”.

“For too long, women’s health conditions have been underfunded, misdiagnosed or ignored completely – and that’s exactly what we’re trying to change,” she said.

Although the forum, to be held on May 6, is already booked out, Ms Couzens encouraged Geelong’s women and girls to still make a submission to the inquiry.

All submissions will inform the inquiry’s recommendations, which will aim to improve the delivery of healthcare across the state for women and girls experiencing pain.

“Women and girls are invited to make written submissions to the inquiry in whatever format suits them,” Ms Couzens said.

“They do not need to address all of the focus areas, only what’s relevant to them.

“This could be a brief letter, a summary of their experience or a research paper.”

Submissions to the inquiry can be made until 5pm on July 31 and the inquiry’s final report is expected in December.

For more information, or to make a submission, head to health.vic.gov.au/inquiry-into-womens-pain