Welcome to our March Newsletter
We're excited to share with you what we've been working on!
We would like to welcome our newest team members – Anushe, Bormey, Fouzia, Kate and Nehad who will be implementing our Health in My Language program.
Thank you to our members and subscribers for your continuing support and interest in Women’s Health Matters.
|
|
Health in My Language is a national health education program for migrant and refugee communities, to address barriers to vaccine literacy and uptake, and increase vaccine confidence, by delivering accurate, multilingual information from trusted professional Bilingual Health Educators across Australia.
The program is funded by the Commonwealth Government to run until June 2023 and Women’s Health Matters (WHM) will deliver education sessions free of charge to migrant and refugee communities across the ACT.
Education sessions can be delivered on a range of topics related to COVID-19 including what it means to stay COVID-19 safe, COVID-19 vaccination, boosters, vaccinations for children, rapid antigen tests, maintain health and wellbeing during pandemic, look after yourself and others with COVID-19.
In addition to this, sessions can be tailored and delivered on health and wellbeing topics important to women from migrant and refugee communities, such as sexual and reproductive health, mental health, healthy relationships and understanding the health system.
Our wonderful team of WHM bilingual health educators, Bormey, Fouzia, Kate and Nehad are able to deliver education sessions in Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Kannada, Khmer, Mandarin and Urdu.
If you would like to book a session or contact the team, please email a.khan@womenshealthmatters.org.au
|
|
We’ve launched our Step up! Campaign.
The campaign will help increase women’s safety in public places across the Canberra region, and encourage their use of these spaces, with a focus on the Canberra City precinct.
This project has been funded by the City Renewal Authority and Office for Women.
The campaign encourages everyone to step up and take a stand if they see disrespect or harassment of women. There will be many times when we see disrespect or harassment discrimination against women, even when we are not directly involved.
When this happens, there are different ways we can take action support the person affected.
Keep an eye out as we share helpful tips on how take action to end disrespect and harassment of women.
|
|
In early February, we hosted a roundtable with ACT Health on abortion access in Canberra.
The roundtable brought together doctors, nurses, health services and key organisations to discuss how the 2022-23 Budget initiative for free abortion access in the ACT can be implemented.
Through interviews, we also heard from women and people with uteruses with lived experiencing accessing abortion in Canberra.
It was great to have a productive discussion with practitioners and passionate advocates for reproductive rights.
We’re grateful to everyone who participated and provided feedback and look forward to sharing our recommendations arising from the roundtable soon.
|
|
Survey of Women's Health in the ACT
|
|
|
|
|
What a response! We have exceeded our target of 1000 completed surveys and are now starting to dig into the fascinating results.
Thanks to everyone who helped test the survey, took the time to fill it out and shared it with others.
We are also happy to announce that we have awarded the two $100 gift vouchers, selected at random from those who completed the survey. Congratulations to the lucky winners, Jenni and Ruth!
The survey covers topics including sexual and reproductive health, mental health, experiences of health services and safety. It will provide invaluable local information about the specific health issues and needs of different groups of women in the ACT – information that does not currently exist.
We are looking forward to sharing the results in a report soon, and will be drawing on the data over the coming years to inform our advocacy and health promotion.
|
|
Women's Health Matters CEO appointed to Domestic Violence Prevention Council
|
|
Women's Health Matters CEO, Lauren Anthes, has been appointed to the Domestic Violence Prevention Council together with eight other new members.
The Domestic Violence Prevention Council provides advice to government to improve responses to domestic and family violence. The body was reformed in 2022 to improve its capacity to provide strategic guidance and identify systemic gaps in the ACT's response to domestic and family violence.
Following a full merit-based selection process the new members are made up of representatives from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, the multicultural community, women with disabilities and the health and crisis support sectors.
Lauren has also been appointed as Chair of the Council and looks forward to working with other council members and the community.
|
|
TACT is out and ready to be listened to!
TACT is an educational and accessible podcast series about sex, sexual health, our bodies and identities, and mental health.
In the episodes, host Jen Seyderhelm joins in conversation with a range of guests who offer judgement-free advice, insight and information relevant to the lives of all young adults.
TACT is made possible thanks to a YWCA Canberra and Beyond Bank grant, and with the support of Women’s Health Matters, the voice for women’s health and wellbeing in the ACT, and Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT. The series is produced in partnership with The Owl at the University of Canberra.
|
|
Children thrive when they are safe, connected and free to grow as their unique selves.
To make this happen, parents and carers need to learn how to challenge disrespect and gender stereotypes.
Raising Respect is a project to equip parents and carers to talk with their children and others about these issues, and help create environments where everyone is working together to prevent gender-based violence.
Funded by an ACT Women’s Safety Grant, project coordinator Merri Andrew has been consulting with parents and carers about their needs and questions, and running small group sessions for people to learn together about respect, gender equality and inclusion.
To learn more, sign up for sessions, and download our brochure with tips and resources, visit the website.
|
|
You can expect to see updates across all of our work in the next newsletter including:
- Health in My Language
- Step up! campaign in the city
- Survey of Women’s Health report
- More TACT episodes
- Raising Respect
In the meantime you can follow us on Facebook or Instagram to get all the latest news.
You can also head to our What's on page to see our active projects.
|
|
|
|
