Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Kat THEOPHANOUS (Northcote) (13:50): Last week Victorians watched the Four Corners investigation and heard allegations that were incredibly shocking – women seeking care for endometriosis instead describing profound betrayal. These are women living with debilitating pain seeking answers, relief and the chance to reclaim their lives. They place their trust in someone to help them heal. Instead they describe a profound misuse of power, mistreatment and lifelong harm. Most of us cannot fathom the depth of their anguish nor the enormity of their courage in speaking out. In Victoria we have heard the moving testimony of thousands of women through our women’s pain inquiry. Through their voices we are only just beginning to unpack a system steeped in power imbalance – a system where for centuries women’s voices have been silenced and women’s bodies have been sites of control rather than care. There is yet so much to do in reforming women’s health, and as parliamentary secretary I want to say to all Victorian women that their pain is real and their experiences make our resolve all the stronger. It is why we are working to deliver an entirely new model of care: dedicated women’s health clinics; virtual, mobile and Aboriginal women’s health clinics; women’s health research; workforce training; and for the first time a connected network of public patient-centred services shaped by and for women and girls. Yesterday I was proud to announce a new women’s health clinic will open at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg in partnership with Mercy Health. It will deliver free specialist care close to home for my community in Northcote, because care must always be grounded in safety, dignity and trust.