Australian Women's Health Network

The he Australian Women’s Health Network (AWHN) is a charity dedicated to achieving health equity for all women. They provide support to any women experiencing family, domestic, or sexual violence, which unfortunately is occurring all too often. If you want to help save women from situations no female should ever have to endure, donating can go a long way in changing these women’s lives.

AWHN began 35 years ago under a big tree in Adelaide. A bunch of women at a community health conference gathered in a park nearby, discussing the need for a gendered lens on healthcare, and the need for more women in health leadership roles. They decided to meet regularly, and the national network formed.

Over the years we have collaborated on a number of conferences, webinars, and peer support spaces, encouraging women's health services and women interested in health and healing to meet, share, and collaborate.

AWHN have an emergency phone line for any women experiencing danger or feeling unsafe, and are focused on researching and developing strategies to improve the circumstances of women’s health in Australia. No woman should have to feel disadvantaged or at risk of harm in their everyday lives but the reality is a lot of us do and AWHN are working towards a better future for women. The evidence available today of the differences between men and women has only been made possible due to the 30 years of women’s health advocacy, services, and research.

“When it comes to women’s health, we have a problem. It’s a problem that impacts on the health, wealth, and wellbeing of all Australians.”

SOME STATISTICS RECORDED BY AWHN REGARDING WOMEN'S HEALTH ARE:

• By the end of 2015 a woman was being murdered every week by a current or expartner in Australia

• In 2008, heart disease claimed the lives of 11,221 Australian women

• Increasing numbers of women are living in poverty and becoming homeless in their old age

Without organisations like the Australian Women’s Health Network, we wouldn’t be progressing towards a healthy society in which women feel equally supported. AWHN strive to be the national voice for women’s health. To speak for women who can’t speak for themselves.

THEY DO THIS BY BEING A NATIONAL BODY THAT ADVOCATES FOR:

Australian policies and procedures that affect women’s health to reflect the evidence.

• Policies that reflect the social determinants of women’s health.

• Policies that are designed to deliver the right to feel safe, respected, and secure to every woman in Australia.

• Policies that deliver fair access and fair health outcomes to every woman in Australia.

• Policies that deliver informed choice to every woman in Australia; and

• Connects people across women’s health to amplify the work they do by ensuring they are supported and their knowledge is heard, shared, and implemented.

By doing all of this the Australian Women’s health Network helps to ensure that the dollars invested in health in Australia get the best results possible. society that you may consider small changes have been achieved with the help of AWHN and will lead to larger gradual shifts in attitude towards women’s equality.

SOME KEY PROGRESSIONS INITIATED BY AWHN INCLUDE:

Australian policies and procedures that affect women’s health to reflect the evidence.

• Advancing from previously no breast or pap screening, to now having a national system of regular screening for women.

• Working women in the past were forced to leave their jobs when becoming pregnant and now due to massive leaps in development, it is illegal to force women to leave their jobs when falling pregnant.

• Women would rarely pursue professional careers in the past and now 50 per cent of people working in medicine are women and there have been significant increases of women in law, the sciences and mathematics.

AWHN are registered with the ACNC and all donations made to the cause are tax deductible. So, if you want to help amplify the progression towards women’s empowerment and equality in society, consider becoming a member of the AWHN by donating via their website online.

To donate to AWHN visit https://awhn.org.au/ @AustralianWomensHealthNetwork @The aspects of change in our