My Body, My Voice Project
My Body, My Voice is a research project launched by WHISE in 2024, in partnership with Women with Disabilities Victoria (WDV) and the Butterfly Foundation. The project explores the experiences of body image by women with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and other over-lapping identities.
Body image has long been understood as an able-bodied woman’s ‘concern’. We aim to diversify that conversation more broadly to include women with disabilities and other intersecting identities.
This project aims to answer the following research question:
How do women with disabilities and other over-lapping identities feel toward their body, why, and what can we do about it?
Report Launch
On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, WHISE successfully launched the My Body, My Voice research report in an online webinar. During the event, Dr Rachel Bush, Evidence and Policy Lead, WHISE, presented key findings and recommendations aimed at improving healthcare practices and primary prevention strategies for addressing body dissatisfaction among women with disabilities.
The launch featured a live Q&A panel discussion with:
- Jessica Hooper - Lived Experience Advocate
- Josephine Money - Clinical Director, Eat Love Live
- Natalie Opasinis - Women’s Health and Engagement Officer, WHISE
We invite you to watch the recording of the webinar to gain insights into the findings and recommendations that emerged from this important report.
Resources
My Body, My Voice Survey
In March 2024, WHISE conducted a survey for people in Victoria to provide their insight on the following:
- Your experience living with disability.
- How this has impacted your relationship to your body image.
- Experiences with over-lapping identities, including but not limited to; race, ethnicity, sexuality, and being in a larger body.
Selected survey participants were included in online focus groups to further explore their survey responses and strengthen our research base.
The survey stage of the My Body, My Voice Project is now closed.
My Body, My Voice Contact Form
Support is available:
Butterfly National Helpline: 1800 33 4673
*131 450 to access Butterfly’s telephone interpreting service
Eating Disorders Victoria: 1300 550 236
Beyond Blue 24/7 Counselling Service: 1300 22 4636
The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1800 880 052
If you are in crisis, please do not delay, call one of the numbers below. Your life matters:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Police & Ambulance: 000