The Federal Government wants to hear about women’s experiences in the health and aged care system to inform policy development and improve health outcomes for the first time.
Women and girls have historically faced unique challenges in the health and aged care systems, from delayed diagnosis, over-medicating, dismissal of pain or other symptoms, or a lack of research and evidence used to treat women. This reality can lead to poorer health outcomes for this demographic.
A consultation survey is now open to all to understand the personal experiences of bias in the health system – from patients to health providers, researchers and other stakeholders.
Assistant Health and Aged Care Minister, Ged Kearney, said women’s stories are often overlooked but that their voices were critical to prompt reform.
“We can’t fix what we don’t know, and this is the critical next step in helping us understand people’s experiences.”
Minister Kearney wants to hear from all people associated with the health and aged care industry to have their say and stop gender bias in healthcare.
“It’s unacceptable that conditions that affect mostly women often go under-researched, undiagnosed or untreated. And when it comes to conditions that affect everyone, we often lack the knowledge of how it might affect women’s bodies and physiology,” she explained.
The survey will be used to inform the work of the National Women’s Health Advisory Council which provides advice and recommendations to the Federal Government to improve policy to improve health outcomes for women and girls and assess the implementation of the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020–2030.
If you want to have a say, send your submission through the online portal by completing the survey or submitting a written statement or audio recording. People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can still have their say in their own language as all options can be completed in 17 languages.
The consultation closes on October 13.
