At the Government House Victoria, an International Women’s Day, Women’s Health Panel was hosted by the National Council of Women Victoria where very important women’s health insights and conversations where heard from the panel, which included Prof Cassandra Szoeke and Prof Helena Teede AM. The event was hosted by Jacinta Parsons, with a message from The Honourable Ged Kearney MP and also included Prof Jayashri Kulkarni AM and Sarah Barnbrook
Did you know that Australian women are most likely to die from chronic diseases of the brain and heart?
But, too often chronic disease research has focused on male bodies. The treatments aren’t tailored for women, and the symptoms are misunderstood. Women’s bodies function differently to men’s, and this research has been overlooked.
Reproductive health issues, like breast cancer, have gone from devastating deaths, to now a 98% survival rate. Australia is on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035. This is what targeted research can do to improve women’s health.
A key message from the night was, we need we need to #balancethescales and apply the same focus to chronic diseases affecting both women and men – there are many differences that haven’t been properly studied in women yet.
The Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership team’s, Prof Helena Teede AM, Adjunct Clin A/Prof Jenny Proimos and Ife Adesina were invited to be on a panel at the The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s International Women’s Day Symposium – Improving Diagnosis and Clinical Care. The session, “From intent and commitment to impact: Advancing women in healthcare leadership” focused on how to accelerate progress for women across the healthcare sector.
With Dr Niki Vincent, Victoria’s Commissioner for Gender Equality in the Public Sector, the panel highlighted the critical role of gender equity and diverse leadership in driving a more empowered workforce, better health outcomes, and stronger organisational performance. They also spoke about the need for system-level reform to strengthen leadership pathways for women in healthcare.
A key takeaway from the session, was that it’s a good reminder that progress happens faster when we work together.
Contact:
Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI)
T: +613 8572 2667, info.mchri@monash.edu
