Ministers statements: women’s health
Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Medical Research) (14:17): I rise today to update the house on the Andrews Labor government’s commitment to the health of Victorian women. For too long women’s health has not had the focus or attention that it deserves, and that is why this government is giving women’s health the funding, the attention and the respect that it deserves. Victorian Labor has a proud record of Australian firsts in women’s health, including funding a women’s health heart clinic and creating a public IVF system. Critically, we have also rolled out 11 sexual and reproductive health hubs, of which seven are in rural and regional Victoria, with nine more to come. We have introduced safe access zones, and we have created the helpline 1800 My Options, improving access to advice, to contraception and to medical and surgical termination of pregnancy here in Victoria, because abortion care is health care, and women deserve access to safe, affordable, judgement-free health care, no matter where they live. Just this morning I had the pleasure of attending a breakfast at Northern Health, where I met with two midwives who are leading research into co-designing safe access to abortion care for women from multicultural communities. Out at Northern Health they are also expanding their clinics, ensuring more women have access to safe termination of pregnancy, because this side of the house believes that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and their own health care.
But there is always more work to do when it comes to women’s health. That is why we have committed to establishing 20 new comprehensive women’s health clinics and doubling the number of laparoscopies that are available to treat endometriosis. To address gaps in medical research we are establishing a dedicated women’s health research institute and conducting an inquiry into women’s pain management. Under the Andrews Labor government we all know that gender equality is not negotiable.