Bridging the Gender Pain Gap
Bridging the Gender Pain Gap: Regional Implementation in Action
The Victorian Government’s Bridging the Gender Pain Gap report highlights the urgent need to address gender bias, stigma and inequitable care pathways that continue to shape women’s health experiences.
Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) is already advancing many of the report’s recommendations across the Southern Metropolitan Region. Through workforce training, community-based health promotion, culturally responsive education, peer-led models and prevention of gender-based violence initiatives, WHISE strengthens gender-responsive, trauma-informed and person-centred practice across health and community systems.
The examples below demonstrate how WHISE translates policy recommendations into practical, measurable outcomes - improving health literacy, strengthening workforce capability, expanding access to non-surgical pathways, and embedding gender equity as a core health principle.
- Recommendation 3.1 - Improve education and training opportunities for health services
- Recommendation 4.1 – Raise public awareness to reduce gender bias and stigma
- Recommendation 4.3 – Make health information more accessible and culturally appropriate
- Recommendation 5.5 - Improve non-surgical pathways
- Recommendation 5.7 – Embed peer support model
- Recommendation 6.2 - Enable full scope of practice
Recommendation 3.1 - Improve education and training opportunities for health services
That the Victorian Government work with health services to embed opportunities for education and training on person-centred, empathetic, trauma informed communication.
Recommendation 4.1 – Raise public awareness to reduce gender bias and stigma
That the Victorian Government invest in public awareness-raising activities focused on addressing gender bias, building trust between consumers and health professionals, reducing stigma and highlighting women’s experience of pain. This should include targeted activities designed with and for CALD women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women with disability and other cohorts facing systemic disadvantage.
Recommendation 4.3 – Make health information more accessible and culturally appropriate
That the Victorian Government commit to ensuring health information is accessible, culturally appropriate, in plain language and community languages where possible.
Recommendation 5.5 - Improve non-surgical pathways
That the Victorian Government work with women with lived experience of endometriosis and associated conditions and health services to improve the patient journey and navigation of services, including access to non-surgical management and treatment options as part of a comprehensive care pathway.
Recommendation 5.7 – Embed peer support model
That the Victorian Government offer peer support services modelled on the example of the Counterpart program for women living with cancer or receiving cancer treatment, and other similar peer support initiatives.
Recommendation 6.2 - Enable full scope of practice
The Victorian Government investigates options and work closely with the Australian Government to support and enable health professionals to operate at their full scope of practice, including for nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives.