Community
14 November, 2025
Health group welcomes pain report
WOMEN’S Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West (WHWBSW) has welcomed the release of the Inquiry into Women’s Pain report and its clear call for systemic reform.
WHWBSW chief executive officer Jodie Hill said the organisation looks forward to contributing its regional expertise to ensure implementation delivers to the needs of women across the Barwon South West region.
“The release of this report is a critical and long-awaited moment for women across Victoria,” she said.
“It’s more than simply responding well to women’s pain, it’s about taking concrete steps to provide the services women need so that their health and wellbeing are given the priority they need.
“We call for a coordinated, whole-of-system response that unites government, health services, education and research – one that puts women’s health at the centre of system design and decision-making.”
The Victorian Government Inquiry found while 95 per cent of women sought help for their pain, they encountered major barriers including being dismissed or ignored (70 per cent of respondents), high costs and long wait times.
Ms Hill said these experiences have widespread impacts on women’s mental health, relationships, education and participation in the workforce.
“When women’s pain is dismissed, the ripple effects are felt across families, workplaces and communities,” she said.
Ms Hill said the report shows the power of women’s lived experience to act as a catalyst for change.
“Thousands of women have bravely shared their personal stories, and their courage demands that we listen, learn and act,” she said,
“We owe them nothing less than change.”
WHWBSW joins Women’s Health Victoria in calling on the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to work together to deliver on the report’s ambitious recommendations — with particular attention to regional communities, First Nations women and women from diverse cultural backgrounds.
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