Women’s Health East warmly invites you to attend our free professional development sessions on sexual and reproductive health.

This workshop series aims to increase the capacity and sexual and reproductive health knowledge of health and community workers in Melbourne’s eastern and northern regions.

All four workshops will take place face to face and include:

Workshop 1 on 19 March: Preventing Discrimination and stigma in sexual and reproductive healthcare – exploring STI, BBV and HIV.

Registrations closed.

Workshop 2 on 17 April: Sexual and reproductive health workshop: Access and international students.

Click this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sexual-and-reproductive-health-workshop-access-and-international-students-tickets-845574334597?aff=oddtdtcreator

Workshop 3 on 7 May: Impacts of public policy and the law on criminalised women, trans and gender diverse people.

Click this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sexual-and-reproductive-health-workshop-public-policy-and-the-law-tickets-845574826067?aff=oddtdtcreator

Workshop 4 on 4 June: Sex and gender norms – sexual and reproductive healthcare for trans, gender diverse and intersex people.

Click this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sexual-and-reproductive-health-workshop-sex-and-gender-norms-tickets-845575538197?aff=oddtdtcreator

These workshops are relevant for, but not limited to, health workers including health promotion officers, bicultural workers, disability and community workers, youth workers, education staff, Council workers, University or TAFE workers or students.

You are welcome to attend one or all workshops, they are designed to compliment each other but equally can be attended alone. Please register for each event separately.

The Victorian Women’s Health Services Network (WHSN) warmly welcome the State Government’s commitment to improving abortion access across Melbourne. The introduction of Eastern Health’s surgical abortion service and plans to establish services at Western Health and Peninsula Health, will ensure that women can access public abortion services that are safe, timely and close to their home and social support networks.

Tricia Currie, Chair of WHSN and Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health Loddon Mallee, said that the Women’s Health Services have been advocating for public hospitals with maternity capacity to provide abortion services, recognising it is a crucial element in ensuring women’s access to high-quality healthcare, and safeguarding their ability to exercise their reproductive rights.

“We thank the Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas, Members of Parliament and pro-choice advocates across our sector who have worked tirelessly to secure public access to abortion healthcare,” Ms Currie said. “We express our gratitude to the Victorian Government for its commitment to Victorian women’s sexual and reproductive health and for its efforts to enhance abortion healthcare access and equity.”

“We welcome the announcement that Box Hill Hospital, the largest of Eastern health’s acute hospitals, will commence surgical abortion services,” said Elly Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health East. “Publicly funded abortion healthcare is a fundamental component of sexual and reproductive healthcare and an important public health issue.”

“Peninsula Health’s provision of abortion services marks a crucial stride for equitable healthcare access. In Melbourne’s southeast region, nearly 700,000 women lack access to this essential service, with no public hospitals listed on 1800 My Options,” said Kit McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health in the South East.

The WHSN noted that while increased public access in Melbourne represented significant progress, more needs to be done to increase public access for women in rural and regional Victoria.

“Data from the Victorian Women’s Health Atlas and 1800 My Options shows that there are large parts of Victorian’s rural and regional areas that has no public abortion service provision,” said  Marianne Hendron, Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health Grampians. “There are no services between Warrnambool and Mildura or east of Leongatha, which means that women are incurring significant costs relating to travel, childcare, accommodation and expenses associated with having to access an abortion in a private clinic.”

“The WHSN is committed to working alongside government to increase access to abortion services by building the clinical capacity and expertise of hospitals, health services and the primary care sector to provide abortion and contraception services,” said Ms Currie.

The WHSN are feminist pro-choice organisations that bring an evidence-based understanding of the Victorian sexual and reproductive health service system. For further information about the WHSN, please visit the Women’s Health Services Website – https://www.whsn.org.au/

Media contact:

Tricia Currie, Chair Women’s Health Service Network

Phone: 0428365929

Email: tricia.currie@whlm.org.au

About Women’s Health Services Network

The Women’s Health Services Network has been a driving force progressing and shaping Victoria’s women’s health and equality space for four decades. While our services were established and funded independently of one another, collaboration has been a strong part of our history. Today, the 12 women’s health services funded through the state government’s Victorian Women’s Health Program collaborate under the title the ‘Victorian Women’s Health Services Network’. This enables us to work as a coordinated, mutually-reinforcing statewide network comprising both place-based and specialist services.

Women’s Health East acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, live and play. 

On 14 October 2023, Australia has the opportunity to enshrine a First Nations Voice in the Constitution.  Women’s Health East declares our support for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. 

In 2017, the Uluru Statement from the Heart outlined the need for a Voice to Parliament to enable First Nations people to have a say on the issues that affect them and to ensure their history is told accurately and truthfully. 

Women’s Health East stands in solidarity with First Nations women and their communities. We are committed to achieving equitable health outcomes for all women in Australia. A First Nations Voice to Parliament that enables self-determination is a crucial way to ensure that First Nations people have a say in their own health.

We are proud to endorse the Health Sector for the Voice statement, alongside Aboriginal Organisations and our health sector partners, which outlines that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout Australia will feel the health and wellbeing benefits of being recognised, respected and valued. 

We understand there are a lot of diverse community views about a Voice to Parliament. In this time, we must strive for respectful and inclusive dialogue that elevates the voice of First Nations women and communities.   

You can view the full Health Sector for the Voice statement in this PDF document.

Victoria’s leading gender equality and women’s health network has welcomed the ongoing focus on women’s health in this year’s Victorian budget and said it looked forward to working with government to develop the services that support the health and wellbeing of all women.

The Victorian Women’s Health Services Network (WHSN) cautiously welcome last week’s budget announcements, recognising that they followed through on the Government’s election commitments.

WHSN Chair and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee Chief Executive Officer Tricia Currie, said the network looked forward to working with the government to ensure the funding commitments in this budget were available for all women across Victoria.

“We are pleased to see the Victorian Government commitment to women’s health in this year’s budget,” Ms Currie said.

“The investment in the women’s health clinics is most welcome and we look forward to future investment in primary prevention and health promotion because we know that this work stops illness.”

“COVID has left our community with vulnerabilities – women were overwhelmingly affected by the pandemic, particularly migrant women, and women with disabilities.”

“It is important we ensure these women are not left behind through the next phase of recovery.”

“Our network recognises the challenging nature of the state’s finances. Looking after wellbeing and promoting health is cost effective and fiscally responsible, and will help Victoria to recover from the pandemic.”

Ms Currie said the network was very supportive of the Gender Equality Budget Statement, including the implementation of gender responsive budgeting, and were keen to understand how future budgets and government investment would support ongoing reform.

“This long-term work requires ongoing investment, and we are not there yet,” Ms Currie said.

“We still experience inequity in our workforces, our leadership and in the programs, policies and services that government delivers to community.”

“We know that the Gender Equality Act has transformed the way that government approaches its work and the WHSN is keen to see this transformation across all of Victoria’s businesses and communities.”

Ms Currie said the WHSN’s 30-plus years of experience in co-design and building partnerships to work for intersectional equity across organisations, programs and services, would stand the network in good stead to work alongside government to realise intersectional equity for all Victorians.

“We see the need to engage with community across all regions on gender equality and improve the capacity of our health system, to understand the benefits and practice of primary prevention and health promotion,” Ms Currie said.

“The Victorian Women’s Health Services have the expertise to understand how to take the objectives of this budget and translate it with an intersectional equity lens across all communities.”

“Women are at the heart of many of the objectives put forward in this budget, and it is vital the lived experience of women’s health and wellbeing is centred in our work going forward.

“This will involve co-design with women in community and the Women’s Health Services know how – and are ready – to do this.”

Quote attributable to Elly Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Health East:

“Reproductive healthcare is highly gendered and stigmatised. We welcome the State Government’s investment in new women’s health clinics, a dedicated Aboriginal-led clinic, and sexual and reproductive health hubs, as a critical step to support universal public access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. The economic and social benefits of investing in gender equality are clear. We welcome the investment in Victoria’s new gender equality strategy and the implementation of the Gender Equality Act, and the opportunities this brings for our sector to support organisations to create gender transformative change.”

To view the full media statement, please click here.

To view the Budget Scorecard, please click here.

Quick links 

You can apply by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/j9c2N8qfAc5PfJ7C9 by 11pm June 30th 2023

This page is the short version with just the key info. You can read the detailed version here https://whe.org.au/get-the-go-ahead-young-experts-group if you want to know more.

Project Info (summary) 

We are recruiting up to 12 Disabled young people aged 18 to 25 years old to be part of a Young Experts Group for the Get the Go-Ahead: Voices for Affirmative Consent Project. 

About the Get the Go-Ahead: Voices for Affirmative Consent Project
Get the Go-Ahead is an affirmative consent project focused on Disabled young people. It aims to give Disabled young people more access to information about affirmative consent, to empower Disabled young people to make choices about their lives and bodies, and to address ableist and gendered drivers of sexual assault and other forms of gendered violence.

We will be working to create resources about affirmative consent aimed at Disabled young people. 

What it involves 

• You will take part in 6 capacity-building workshops and 6 codesign workshops. These will run online over Zoom. 
• The capacity building workshops are workshops designed to give you more skills and knowledge. Some of the workshop topics have already been planned, and some will be decided by you as a group.
• In the 6 codesign workshops we will decide as a group what kind of resources we want to create and what they should include, and how best to support Disabled young people to learn more about consent, sexual health, and our rights. 

Payment
Each workshop will be two hours, and you will be paid $150 for each workshop you participate in. 

Who can apply
This project is open to Disabled young people aged 18 to 25 years old who have a connection to the Melbourne’s eastern region.
Who can apply
This project is open to Disabled young people aged 18 to 25 years old with a connection to Melbourne’s eastern region

We’re hoping to recruit a group of diverse Disabled young people. It’s open to people of all genders and we particularly encourage queer and trans Disabled people, Disabled people of colour, and young people with a diverse range of lived experiences to apply. 

Disabled
This is a broad category, and we know people might use different language to describe themselves. In this project we recognise a broad definition of disability, including physical disability, intellectual disability, neurodivergence, mental illness, chronic illness, cognitive disability, and sensory disability. 

Age
This project is focused on young adults, which are people aged between 18 and 25 years old. You can apply for this if you will be between 18 and 25, as of the 1st of August 2023. 

Connection to the Eastern region
Melbourne’s eastern region includes Yarra Ranges, Knox, Maroondah, Manningham, Monash, Whitehorse and Boroondara. 

Having a connection to this region might mean that you live here, study here, work here, grew up here, or have family or community here. 

You can apply by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/j9c2N8qfAc5PfJ7C9 

If you have any questions you can email Kochava Lilit, klilit@gmail.com

If you want more information about the project and what it will involve you can read the detailed version here: https://whe.org.au/get-the-go-ahead-young-experts-group

Public spaces play a significant role in community life. They provide a space for people to foster social connections, engage in sport and physical activity and access green spaces. Being able to occupy public space can positively impact on social, mental and physical health and wellbeing.

Women’s experiences and perceptions of public spaces differs to men and it is important to take these differences into account when planning and designing spaces for the community.  The evidence shows that women are more likely than men to feel unsafe in public spaces and can also feel as though a space is not designed with them in mind.

Women’s Health East saw an opportunity to pilot a project which elevated the voices and expertise of local women to create safe and inclusive public spaces. By engaging with local women to ‘walk’ their local areas, the Gender Equity Walk project facilitated a space for women to provide their perspective and experience on public spaces in their local area, and collaborate with council in a meaningful way, on an issue that impacts on their day to day lives

Download the reports to read more about the walks and key findings.

• Monash Gender Equity Walk Final Report
• Croydon Women’s Safety Walk Final Report

Did you know that the use of artwork in public spaces can make for more welcoming environments, encourage usage, and promote ownership and pride for people in the community?

This has been more than evident through the work of the ‘Women’s Health East Beyond the Studio: Advocating for Women’s Inclusion, Visibility and Safety through Public Art’ project. This project aimed to contribute to work that supports women to feel more visible, included and safer in public spaces.

Through the engagement and contributions of women of the Yarra Ranges community, we are pleased to share with you six superimposed images, that showcase how public spaces, identified by residents of the Yarra Ranges and artwork produced by Yarra Ranges artist, could look and be enhanced if more artwork like this was commissioned.

The photo:

For many years, Marilyn felt this little park situated in a main street of Yarra Junction was not a safe space to sit or even walk past. Although she acknowledged that the Yarra Ranges Council has recently done a ‘make-over’ of this public space by painting its walls and planting more greenery, she felt that the addition of female-commissioned artwork would make this space an even more inviting place for all Yarra Ranges community members, and help increase the amount of people using this space, as well as making it more welcoming and safe.

The artist:

Lucy, a Healesville painter, shares three generations of women through her artwork: her mother, herself, and her baby daughter. Lucy describes the ease of painting her daughter as the sky and trees reflected off her face that day. She shared her struggles in painting both herself and her mother’s portrait and said that she stayed up all night trying to mirror the reflection she saw of herself. Lucy writes; “But I like it. My husband calls it ‘The Warrior’. He thinks it shows the survivor in me”. Lucy believes it’s projects like this that keep important conversations going around the importance of more visibility needed for women artists and how “this is our space too”.

We would like to acknowledge and thank those that contributed to the creation of this image:
Photograph taken by: Marilyn Hogben
Artwork by: Lucy Hawkins
Artwork photographer: Suzanne Phoenix
Superimposed image designer: Jennifer Trott

The photo:

Claudia describes the Mt Evelyn Recreation Reservation as a place for everyone – young, old, families, dog walkers, bush walkers, bike riders and explorers alike. It’s a place where people can begin an adventure or they can let the bush surround and hug them. Public art pieces provide us with a different perspective; of a place, a moment or a feeling – and if we’re lucky, we can discover something new.

The artist:

Sarah’s pieces were created in response to the year 2020. They reference the bushfires that cast a shadow over the year to follow. Her pieces are cast in bronze and then blackened. “They appear just like seed pods that may have endured a fire”, she says. Sarah shares that despite the adversity faced during the bushfires, seed pods such as these only open in that type of extreme heat. These seed pods represent resilience and allow for new beginnings. She shared the struggles of having the confidence of identifying as an artist, how it feels like it’s harder to prove yourself in the art world being female, and suspects that sometimes it is harder for women to find their place in the industry than men. Sarah believes women should feel safe in public spaces and believes art has a role to play in achieving this.

We deeply valued working with such talented community members who share common goals to Women’s Health East. We’re so thrilled to be able to centre the voices of these women through this project and showcase the achievement and talents of women in the Yarra Ranges community.

We would like to acknowledge and thank those that contributed to the creation of this image:
Photograph taken by: Claudia Jongsma
Artwork by: Sarah Stewart
Artwork photographer: Suzanne Phoenix
Superimposed image designer: Jennifer Trott

The photo:

Zoe sent in a photograph of the riverbank walking trail in her local town of Warburton. She told us how the community of Warburton is so creative and how this could be harnessed. Zoe shares how the riverbanks of Warburton would be a wonderful place to see more art produced by local artists – something both locals and visitors would enjoy seeing.

The artist:

Shlomit is a Yarra Ranges wood sculptor. She shared that no one tells you when you’re growing up that you could be a sculptor, and how she is often overlooked when going into Bunnings to collect material for her work. With her work, Shlomit would love to bring nature back to the playgrounds and public spaces, and that busy streets, cars, asphalt and concrete will benefit from added natural materials like timber that is tactile and has a warm essence, creating a calm and inviting atmosphere. Shlomit enjoys showing young school children her art and workshop and can serve as a role model for young girls and boys that may want to become artists one day. 

We would like to acknowledge and thank those that contributed to the creation of this image:
Photograph taken by: Zoe Smith
Artwork by: Shlomit Moria
Artwork photographer: Suzanne Phoenix
Superimposed image designer: Jennifer Trott

The photo:

Simone is no stranger to walking past this spot in Yarra Junction. This wall can be seen from the corner of Warburton Highway and Little Yarra Road. She explained that this space receives a lot of traffic as it’s positioned near the local supermarket, numerous schools and businesses. Simone believes covering up the graffiti that is currently on this wall and replacing it with artwork would provide a reset and relief for people after a “hectic” day.

The artist:

Suzanne is a Warburton based photographer and artist, and told us about how the photos of these Frenchies were captured in Yarra Junction, just meters of where they are now being used in this concept image. She describes the moment and the photographs created are full of joy and bring smiles to so many people’s faces. Suzanne feels strongly about public art needing to be a part of every budget for new buildings and public spaces, and equally within budgets of the different levels of government to create spaces that are dynamic, thought provoking, safe and crime preventing. Suzanne writes, “we have a lot of making up to do in Australia to get near equal representation of women artists creating and in public art.”

We would like to acknowledge and thank those that contributed to the creation of this image:
Photograph taken by: Simone Whitehead
Artwork by: Suzanne Phoenix
Artwork photographer: Suzanne Phoenix
Superimposed image designer: Jennifer Trott

The photo:

Kim shared with us an image of the Dolly Grey Park boardwalk in Warburton. She describes how this is a place for everyone to enjoy, as well as how accessible it is for women who use a wheelchair, and how you can imagine this boardwalk is a ‘runway’, how you can hear your steps, as you walk, run, jump or skip along it – and it makes her feel happy. Kim can envision walking past beautiful artwork along the boardwalk on the way to the picnic area, a guided journey to a special, tranquil place in nature for a picnic, or just to relax.

The artist:

Sioux describes herself as someone that has always been an artist. This was evident when visiting her magnificent artwork that is her home, situated in the hills of Warburton. She shares how art should be everywhere, how art brings people together and brings a significant energy to wherever it’s placed. Sioux explained her thoughts around the need for more community art and how community members have to be part of the conversations and delivery of whenever public art is commissioned. This would allow for community members to feel proud and have ownership over these pieces and places they live in. 

We would like to acknowledge and thank those that contributed to the creation of this image:
Photograph taken by: Kim Linssen
Artwork by: Sioux Dollman
Artwork photographer: Suzanne Phoenix
Superimposed image designer: Jennifer Trott

The photo:

Lindy shares a photograph of the regularly walked Story Lane in her town of Warburton, and describes this space as ‘blank’. She imagines how this laneway would make an amazing permanent outdoor gallery space.

The artist:

Chelsea is a Mt Evelyn based artist who describes her art as a way of connecting people with nature, themselves and always finds the hidden details in things that sometimes get overlooked. Chelsea shares how she gets to spread positivity through each piece she makes, and mentions how she has had so many messages about the confidence her pieces have given people. It’s little pieces of herself she gets to share with the world and pass on something unique and beautiful as a reminder that the person receiving her pieces are also beautiful and unique. Chelsea says that this is why it’s such a vital part of life to be exposed to art daily, to be a part of a community that promotes women artists and showcases pieces of our souls for the world to see. Every woman can walk by feeling empowered, safe and encouraged.

We would like to acknowledge and thank those that contributed to the creation of this image:
Photograph taken by: Lindy Schneider
Artwork by: Chelsea Gallop
Artwork photographer: Suzanne Phoenix
Superimposed image designer: Jennifer Trott

Women’s Health East would like to acknowledge and thank all women that contributed to the Beyond the Studio project. We are proud of the collaborative and community focused work this project brought. A special thank you to the project’s photographer, Suzanne Phoenix and project’s graphic designer, Jennifer Trott for going above and beyond for this project.

We would love your feedback around these images, please leave your thoughts and comments by following this survey link. If you would like to learn more about women and public spaces read our ‘Creating Safe and Inclusive Public Spaces for Women‘ report.

For any questions or queries about the ‘Beyond the Studio: Advocating for Women’s Inclusion, Visibility, and Safety through Public Art’ project, please get in contact with Georgina Nix at: gnix@whe.org.au

Read the project report here.

This project was proudly funded by Yarra Ranges Council.

The Gender Equality Act 2020 came into effect on 31st March 2021. There are several actions that defined entities will need to undertake to fulfil their obligations under the Act, including Workplace Gender Audits, Gender Equality Action Plans (GEAPs), and Gender Impact Assessments (GIAs). For many organisations, this means heading into uncharted waters. Following are some tips to maximise your chances of smooth sailing.

1: Contextualise

Staff members across your organisation need to understand why you are doing this work. Emphasise that this not ‘just another compliance requirement’. Rather, this is about making our workplaces, programs, and services fairer and more accessible, and improving the lives of women and girls across Victoria. Highlight how this work aligns with your organisational values. (If words like fairness, equality, respect, learning, diversity, experience, innovation, quality, collaboration, or leadership appear in any of your organisational statements, you’re off to a great start!) Knowing the context for why this work is important can help get staff members on board.

2: Create a plan 

Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the Gender Equality Act and create a plan for managing your organisation’s obligations.  

Construct a timeline of key dates. Some of these dates are fixed – for example, your Workplace Gender Audit takes place on 30th June and your initial Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) is due for submission on 31st October this year. You will then need to submit your first progress report by 31st October 2023. Keeping these dates in mind, plan out a manageable review cycle for your policies, programs, and services. It’s probably unwise to have all reviews due at the same time, as this will mean having to undertake many Gender Impact Assessments at once – a huge task! How many GIAs do you anticipate having capacity to undertake in any given year/semester/quarter? What other key dates do you need to plan around (e.g. EOFY, semester dates, public holidays, other dates specific to your sector)? 

Consider also your priority areas for this first year of implementation. While the first round of gender audits and GEAPs must be completed this year, there is some discretion with Gender Impact Assessments. GIAs need to be conducted on all policies, programs, and services that are new or up for review, and which have a ‘direct and significant’ impact on the public. What does ‘direct and significant’ impact mean for your organisation? If you have new programs or services on offer this year, how will you embed Gender Impact Assessments in the planning process? Of your existing policies, programs, and services, which would you like to review this year? Which ones might be better scheduled for review once you have a couple of GIAs under your belt? Perhaps, for example, you might consider prioritising smaller policies or programs this year – dip your toes in the water to start with, rather than diving in head first and finding yourself overwhelmed by the process. 

3: Consider your strengths and needs

What strengths, knowledge, and experience already exist in your organisation? How can you harness this expertise for your gender equality work? Who in your organisation needs upskilling? 

Who is supportive of gender equality? Who else needs to be brought on board?

What gaps are there in your current information? How will you fill these?

Whose voices are missing from the conversation?

4: Collaborate across teams/departments

This is not just a job for Gender Equity Officers or Diversity and Inclusion teams! While these folks will have expertise in the area of gender equality, they may not have specific knowledge of all the day-to-day work of other teams. They may not know about revenue and rates, or water infrastructure, or IT, or forensic services, or curriculum planning, or medical procedures. Staff members from other teams within the organisation are the ones with this type of specialist expertise – so everyone will need to work together to meet your organisation’s obligations under the Gender Equality Act. 

Some organisations have asked their HR department to take the lead on the internal obligations of the Gender Equality Act (gender audit/GEAP) and their Diversity and Inclusion teams (or equivalent) to take the lead on the external obligations (GIAs). However, all teams/departments that provide programs or services to the public will need to be involved in this work. For some organisations, this may well mean every single team! This fits well with what we know about effective cultural change – that is, a whole-of-organisation approach works best. 

So make sure you get gender on the agenda, right across your organisation!

5: Collect information 

Capture data. If you’ve not already been doing this, start as soon as possible! Consider collecting not only data on gender, but also other characteristics that may compound experiences of disadvantage or discrimination, such as race, Aboriginality, religion, disability, age, and sexual orientation. 

Consult the people affected by your policies, programs, and services – your staff members, program/service users, community members.

Collate, deidentify, and disaggregate results. These will be used to complete the key actions required by the Gender Equality Act – Workplace Gender Audits, Gender Equality Action Plans, and Gender Impact Assessments – as well as for reporting purposes. These results can (and should!) also be used to inform continuous improvement processes within your organisation.  

The more information you have, the easier you will find it to fulfil your obligations under the Gender Equality Act, and the better you will be able to understand the needs of the people you work with and for. 

6: Connect with Women’s Health East

Women’s Health East is here to support organisations with implementation of the Gender Equality Act, so please reach out and connect with us! 

We are in the process of developing a series of training sessions around the Gender Equality Act, and will publicise details once finalised. Watch this space!

We can also offer tailored packages, so please contact us if you would like to discuss your organisation’s specific training and support needs.

7: Communicate

Good communication is key to the success of any change initiative. It can assist in building trust with stakeholders, and maximising their engagement in the process. 

Explain to your staff members why you are undertaking this work, how it aligns with your organisation’s values, and what their role in the process will be. Convey to your Board members the fantastic opportunity this work provides to strengthen your organisation’s gender equality credentials and add value for your clients/service users. Let your clients/service users know that you are listening: that you will use what you learn to improve your programs and services so that they do not contribute to gender inequality, and so they better meet the needs of women and girls. Reassure all of your stakeholders that data will be deidentified and you will maintain their privacy. 

Communicate the wins too! Let people know what gains you’ve made, however small they might seem. Track and celebrate your progress with members of your workplace and your community! 

In summary, to ensure the process of implementing the Gender Equality Act is as smooth as possible, plan early; collect as much information as possible; keep good records of actions you have taken; and communicate with all key internal and external stakeholders so they know what is happening, when, and why. The Gender Equality Act represents a fantastic opportunity for organisations to show some genuine leadership in the workplace and the community, and for all of us to make substantial progress towards gender equality. 

You definitely do not want that ship to sail without you. 

-by Kirsty Kain, WHE Training Coordinator

My gym temporarily closed in March this year. The playgrounds that I regularly visited with my toddler also closed. Like many other Victorians, I had to re-think ways to use public spaces to maintain my fitness and entertain my very energetic 3-year old. I soon realised that, despite restricted access to areas I used to frequent, I was actually interacting with public spaces more often overall and in so many different ways than I could have ever expected. And I wasn’t the only one.

Public spaces foster social connections, encourage physical activity and recreational pursuits, and play a significant role in community life. Being able to occupy public space can positively impact on social, mental and physical health. Experiencing public spaces in new ways also really highlighted the importance of ensuring all public spaces are designed to be enjoyed by everyone within the community. Good design is crucial to creating spaces that are safe and inclusive for everyone – particularly for women and girls.

My area of work is health promotion, at a women’s health organisation, where we work with our partner organisations to ensure they consider the unique needs of women and girls when making program planning decisions. Putting a ‘gender lens’ on everything is what we do, which means we support state-wide and local bodies to consider how gender inequality impacts on women’s experiences. This approach can be applied across all disciplines – including urban planning and design.

The evidence shows that women are more likely than men to feel unsafe in public spaces, and are also more likely to feel as though a space is not designed with them in mind. This is particularly true for women who experience other intersecting forms of marginalisation, such as those who identify as LGBTIQ, women from migrant backgrounds, older women, Aboriginal women and women with a disability. Only 61% of Australian women reported feeling safe when walking alone at night, compared to 77% of men (Safety – Australia, OECD Better Life Index 2020). These perceptions of a lack of safety in public spaces can make women feel anxious and make them less likely to occupy these spaces, which means they are also missing out on the many benefits that public spaces bring. What is it about public spaces that can make women feel as though they are not made for them, and how can this be addressed through design?

Use and perception unique to lived experience

Women use and perceive public spaces in ways that are unique and specific to their lived experience, and much of this is influenced by the roles that they have historically taken on within our society. For example, women are more likely to take on care taker roles, and specific design considerations to make spaces useable and safe for young children and the elderly can make them more engaging for women. This could include designing walking paths with wide footpaths for prams, wheelchairs and walkers and accessible toilets with baby change facilities. Playgrounds are another key public space used by women, and thoughtful design can hugely impact on whether these are utilised. Ensuring that playgrounds have clear lines of sight to, that toilets and change facilities are within the vicinity and the provision of adequate seating are basic, yet key design aspects to ensure playgrounds are regarded as safe and accessible.

Other physical infrastructure, such as easy to read signs and directions, adequate lighting and well-maintained paths can influence women’s decision to engage with spaces. Additionally, mixed use areas where people can walk, play, eat and exercise at different times of the day ensure that the area is used at all times, encouraging community members to linger, which has the flow on effect of increasing women’s perceptions of safety and time spent there (Safe Public Places: Rethinking Design for Women Safety, Soraganvi, AS, 2017).

Subjective elements of the environment can also impact on women’s willingness to engage with spaces. A predominance of male named businesses, statues and artwork by men, and sexist and provocative ads can make women and girls feel excluded (Research project highlights the varied ways a woman can feel unsafe in a city, Kalms, N, Matthewson, G and Salen, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2017). It’s therefore key that, along with addressing physical safety, planners consider how women are represented and recognised in public spaces. An example from Spain is the conscious effort of naming streets after women (in Barcelona, the number of streets named after women went from 7% in 1996 to 27% in 2010) and encouraging public art to remember the contribution that women have made to Spain (Designing cities for women: lessons from Barcelona’s ‘Feminist City’, Abbey Seitz, streets.mn, May 22 2020).

In order to create safe and inclusive public spaces for all women, their voices and expertise must be front and centre in every stage of planning through a co-design approach. Firstly, it is about ensuring that women are working in urban design leadership positions so that they are able to bring their perspectives and experiences to the table. It is also about listening to the voices of women within a community in order to gather rich, real world data that can be used to guide the design and development of useable, inclusive and accessible public spaces.

By placing that ‘gender lens’ over public spaces, and by considering the unique needs of the whole community, planners have the opportunity to create spaces that are attractive, active, healthy, safe and inclusive – for everyone.

Read WHE’s updated Creating Safe and Inclusive Public Spaces for Women Report V2 September 2021.

By Vanessa Czerniawski, Health Promotion Officer

This article was first published in the July 2020 edition of the Planning Institute of Australia’s Planning News.