Wednesday, 8 March 2023

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (09:43): Today we recognise International Women’s Day, with its strong roots in protest and activism. I would like to acknowledge that the fight still continues for truly equitable health care for women and gender-diverse people here in Victoria. Given some of the statements that have been made in this house in recent weeks, I would like to affirm that trans men’s and trans women’s rights are central in this conversation, and their access and inclusion in our healthcare system must be ensured. The first Australian women’s health and wellbeing scorecard towards equity for women, published by Monash University a couple of months ago, showed that on a number of indicators for women it actually declined over the two decades from 2001 to 2020. Women are two to three times more likely than men to experience mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

The gender pay gap and inequality at work put women at high risk of both physical and mental illness. We know that poor health is known to reduce income and low income is known to increase poor health, creating a cycle of disadvantage for women, with the impact on women from diverse backgrounds even greater. This is according to women’s health expert Professor Helena Teede. Australia ranks first for women’s education but 70th on women’s economic security and opportunity. Our healthcare system must be better, more inclusive and more affordable for women and gender-diverse people in Victoria if we are serious about addressing the gender pay gap in our state. I urge members of this chamber to use our privileged position to carry the intention of International Women’s Day beyond just this day.