Archive for category: Media Releases

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee handed down its Report from the Inquiry into Universal Access to Reproductive Healthcare yesterday afternoon – 25 May 2023.
Women’s Health Matters (WHM) welcomes the report as a first step toward universal access to reproductive health care, including abortion care.

WHM CEO Lauren Anthes called the report a roadmap for implementing the Australian Government’s priorities in the National Women’s Health Strategy.

The inquiry highlighted the many the barriers to abortion access, including cost, the capacity of the health workforce, the complexity of funding through the Medicare Benefits Schedule system, and the information available women and people with uteruses.

We welcome the recommendation for a national telephone service to help women and people with uteruses find the information and services they need. This is something we’re lacking in the ACT, and which we recommended in our submission.

We’re particularly pleased to see recommendations that the Government commissions research and explore policy options around the impact of reproductive health on women’s participation in the workforce, and adequacy of leave under the National Employment Standards. This is something we recommended in our submission, and that we’ve been advocating for in the ACT.
Last year, we launched a Reproductive Health Policy to encourage other organisations and businesses to use as a template.

Our recent ACT Inquiry into abortion access and reproductive choice recommended the exploration of reproductive leave by the ACT Government.

Reproductive leave supports employees in their ability to adequately self-care in relation to their reproductive health, including menstruation, menopause, fertility care, pregnancy, miscarriage, and termination of pregnancy, while not being penalised by having to deplete their sick leave. It is important to acknowledge that reproductive health is not a sickness. Reproductive leave also seeks to remove the stigma and taboo surrounding reproductive health.

It’s exciting to see support for reproductive leave growing among our colleagues and government.

Women’s Health Matters (WHM) has launched their Step Up! campaign to prevent harassment of women in public spaces.

The campaign will commence with a soft launch on Monday 6 March with the campaign to roll out in full by April 2023 in the Canberra City Centre.

Step Up! encourages everyone to step up and take a stand if they see disrespect or harassment of women and sits alongside the existing Canberra Safety Map resource.

Women’s Health Matters CEO Lauren Anthes says it is important to give people the tools they need when they witness this kind of behaviour.

“Everyone has a role to play in preventing violence against women. There will be many times when we see sexist behaviour and harassment of women even when we are not directly involved.

When this happens, there are lots of different ways we can step up. We can all take action to prevent discrimination and violence against women”, said Ms Anthes.

The Step Up! campaign aims to encourage the entire Canberra community to take action to improve women’s safety in public spaces across the Canberra region.

The project has been funded by the City Renewal Authority and Office for Women.

City Renewal Authority Acting CEO, Craig Gillman says the campaign has a focus on making the City Centre an even safer and more enjoyable place.

“The City Renewal Authority is so pleased to support the Step Up! campaign. Initiatives such as this are important in continuing to shape a diverse and vibrant City Centre where all members of our community as well as visitors can live, explore and thrive”, said Mr Gillman.

WHM hopes the campaign will encourage people to ‘step up’ and challenge disrespect and harassment of women.

“Research shows that violence against women is driven by traditional and harmful gender stereotypes that influence our attitudes and behaviours.

Violence against women is serious and common, but when you take action, you will have the support of most people around you. You don’t need to be a hero, there are little things you can do”, said Ms Anthes.

Minister for Women Yvette Berry says that safety at home and in public spaces is essential to full and equal participation of women and girls and is critical to the wellbeing of our entire community.

“The ACT Government’s key objectives of the Second Action Plan 2020-22 supporting the ACT Women’s Plan 2016-2026 is to build a community where women and girls are safe and supported to participate.

We are partnering with Women’s Health Matters to not only encourage women to speak up about the places where they feel safe or unsafe, but also for the general public to step up when they see inappropriate behaviour towards women and girls.

We all have a responsibility to build a Canberra that is safe and inclusive for everyone.”

Additional funding to support abortion services in the ACT

Women’s Health Matters (WHM) welcomes the decision in the ACT Government’s budget to ensure that women and people with a uterus in our region have access to safe, accessible, and affordable abortion services.

From early next year, funding will be available for people to access free medical and surgical abortions for up to 16 Weeks. All ACT residents will be eligible for this service, including those without a Medicare card.

Lauren Anthes, CEO at Women’s Health Matters, says the new funding will help to alleviate some of the barriers that people face when trying to access abortions in the ACT.

“There are significant financial barriers to people accessing termination of pregnancy services in the ACT, particularly for our more vulnerable cohorts”, said Ms Anthes.
This funding and access for those without Medicare cards will help to reduce these barriers and allow people timely access to these services in the ACT.”

The announcement comes with an allocation of $4.6 million by the ACT Government to help address this pressure.

In addition to this funding the ACT Government has committed to the development of a communications package to help ensure accessibility and easier navigation of healthcare services available in the ACT.

“We welcome the commitment of funding to develop communications with stakeholders across the ACT to ensure that people will be aware and are able to access services”, said Ms Anthes.

“This will include the development of an accessible and easy to navigate website”.

This commitment from the ACT Government is a big step forward but there is always more that can be done to improve access to termination of pregnancy services in the ACT.

WHM will continue to work with the ACT Government to work towards universal access, including expanding the provision of abortion services after 16 weeks in the ACT so women and pregnant people do not need to travel interstate.

“The availability of the Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme for those who need to travel interstate is a welcome interim measure”, said Ms Anthes.

WHM looks forward to working with the ACT Government to support the implementation of this funding and welcomes the opportunity to support the development of a communications campaign.