New report reveals the silent health issues impacting Australia's women and girls

Australian women are being ignored, underfunded and dangerously misunderstood when it comes to their health, a new report by Monash University and commissioned by the Sisterhood Foundation finds.

The report found only 3.3% of government research funding in 2023–24 was dedicated to women's health, leaving many overlooked conditions critically underfunded and poorly understood.

The "Women Deserve Better" report captures the voices of more than 2,200 women, girls and experts working in women's health and social care, policy and research across the country. The report uncovers the silent health conditions and social issues affecting women in Australia, including highlighting significant gaps in funding, access, affordability and education that continue to impact women's health.

Key findings include:

• We need to go beyond the bikini line. Only 3.3% of government research funding in 2023–2024 went to women's health, and most of it was for reproductive or sexual health.
• The top areas of concern coming out of the research include violence, mental health conditions, endometriosis, homelessness, and chronic health conditions disproportionately affecting women (such as fibromyalgia) or differently affecting women (such as heart disease).
• Women and girls feel unheard when it comes to their health issues and want to be able to easily access gender-responsive, equitable and affordable health care.

Lead Researcher and Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Sara Holton from Monash University's Health and Social Care Unit, said the findings showed women's health was still defined too narrowly.

"Women and girls want to be able to easily access gender-responsive, equitable, affordable health care, and take part in research and the design of programs for them," Dr. Holton said. "It shouldn't be a postcode lottery. They also want acknowledgment of the different aspects of their lives, how different stages of their lives impact and influence their health, and greater awareness of and focus on the health conditions they experience."

Katie McLeish, Executive Officer of the Sisterhood Foundation said, "Our purpose at the Sisterhood Foundation is to hear, acknowledge and address the unique health issues impacting Australian women and girls, especially those that are not well understood, discussed or funded.

"We commissioned this research to learn directly from women and girls about the challenges they face and what needs to change. Over 2,200 voices made it clear—too often concerns are dismissed or underfunded, particularly when it comes to conditions that only, differently or disproportionately affect women."

One woman surveyed shared: "I was told it was all in my head. I now live with a chronic illness that could have been caught years earlier."

In response to the findings, the Sisterhood Foundation has pledged $1 million in funding over the next 12 months to new charity partners tackling the issues identified.

More information:
'Women deserve better': An exploration of the 'silent' health issues affecting women and girls in Australia. drive.google.com/file/d/14ip1u … kKG1_6I7A4hTFFw/view

Provided by Monash University