Wednesday, 19 November 2025

 Alison MARCHANT (Bellarine) (19:12): (1434) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide an update on how the recently released findings from the landmark inquiry into women’s pain will benefit women and girls in the Bellarine. Just before I continue, though, I would like to acknowledge Alison Vong, a student from the University of Melbourne who has assisted me in preparing this adjournment for tonight.

The women’s pain inquiry was the first of its kind in Australia and led by Safer Care Victoria and the inquiry into women’s pain subcommittee in collaboration with Victorian Women’s Health Advisory Council and the Department of Health. The inquiry gathered insights from over 13,000 women, girls, carers, healthcare professionals, peak bodies and researchers and unveiled the experience of women and girls with pain conditions and accessing pain relief. The findings were striking: over 90 per cent of respondents reported experiencing pain lasting longer than a year, with 54 per cent living with pain every single day. Even more concerning, 71 per cent of participants cited widespread dismissal from healthcare professionals. Overall, the report found five key learnings: unmet healthcare needs, gaps in research and representation, gender bias in health care, barriers across communities and a call for change. While these findings are not entirely surprising, I am relieved that we now have robust research confirming what women and girls have been saying and experiencing for years. The report has also made 27 recommendations aimed at guiding system-wide improvements to bridging the gender pain gap and ensure that women’s pain is recognised, understood and appropriately addressed. I look forward to receiving an update from the minister on how these findings and recommendations, including in the inquiry into women’s pain report, will benefit the women and girls across the Bellarine.