A Women’s Pain Forum was hosted by Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas with the goal of raising awareness for the Victorian Government’s Inquiry into Women’s Pain.
Facilitated by Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) chief executive Kit McMahon, the event was held at the Old School House in Hampton Park on Thursday 6 June.
For Mr Maas, he said, “it was a privilege to host this Women’s Pain Forum in the South East, and play a part in bringing more attention to an issue that we should be talking more about”.
He was joined by a special guest, the minister for health Mary-Anne Thomas MP, as well as Narre Warren North MP Belinda Wilson and Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards at the event.
Key stakeholder organisations that have an integral role in running support for the issue also attended, representing a range of backgrounds, professions and experiences.
During the event, Ms McMahon and her team ran a workshop that facilitated a discussion about women’s pain and their experience with the healthcare system.
“The state government is committed to listening and learning from these experiences to inform improved care for women and girls experiencing pain in the future,” Mr Maas said.
WHISE will be making a submission to the government’s Inquiry into Women’s Pain, supported by research that was recently conducted by the Victorian Women’s Health Survey which detailed that their pain is real and often overlooked.
The survey found that four in 10 Victorian women suffer from a chronic health condition and one in three have health conditions that affect their ability to work and keep a job; in addition, half the participants were suffering from pain connected to their period which impacted their health and wellbeing.
“Thank you to the formidable Kit McMahon of Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) for facilitating this important discussion, and to all the representatives from community organisations who shared their stories and experiences.”
For those interested to be part of WHISE’s submission, registration is available through surveymonkey.com/r/WomensPainInquiry
To put a submission directly to the Inquiry, visit health.vic.gov.au/inquiry-into-womens-pain
Submissions to the Inquiry into Women’s Pain close 31 July 2024.
