WOMEN’S Health Loddon Mallee has been selected to share in State Government funding.
An allocation of $18 million in funding from the state budget will be given to various women’s health organisations in Victoria.
CEO of WHLM Trisha Currie said she was glad the organisation was receiving funding which would allow women to have easier access to information around preventative health measures.
“It’s really important to have the support of this funding because it allows us to strategically advocate for systems to change,” Ms Currie said.
“When you invest in prevention and addressing inequities in health, you’ll get much better outcomes for communities.”
Ms Currie added that WHLM in collaboration with Collective Action for Respect and Equality (CARE) would continue to work with local organisations like local governments, sporting clubs and hospitals to ensure gender equality was embedded in local spaces.
“For a long time WHLM was built on small change,” she said.
“What we were able to bring to the notice of the State Government was how important the investment in equity was.
“We take a really important human rights approach to women’s health, and that is to ensure women have access to the health services they need and the information they need to make informed choices.”
Ms Currie said the funding would help the organisation to continue providing women with education around health services, menopause, consent and preventative health measures.
“It wasn’t quite as much as we asked for but we’re very pleased to have what we have,” she said.
“There is so much more to be done.”
The organisation has recently put a spotlight on women affected by natural disasters in the region through its The Women Rising report which centres on local women’s experiences dealing with floods in 2022.
However, the prominent state funding comes after the Federal Government’s decision to discontinue funding for Women with Disabilities Victoria for the Information Linkages and Capacity Building program.
Women’s health organisations including WHLM have expressed their concern about WDV losing funding as they work together to deliver services to women with disabilities in the state.
“Women with disabilities experience higher rates of violence, for example, and without WDV they’d have fewer opportunities for employment and access to financial independence,” Ms Currie said.
“It’s extraordinarily disappointing and it needs to be readdressed.
“At the moment I’m currently preparing to write to our federal member to advocate for and support the organisation.”
