Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 17 April I held a successful women's healthcare town hall in Hasluck, which was attended by the honourable Ged Kearney, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care; and Dr Fei Sim, the national president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. The town hall was also attended by women and men of all ages and experiences, from medical students just starting out in their profession through to mothers and daughters with their own healthcare stories to tell, as well as experienced aged-care professionals. The stories told by the attendees made it abundantly clear that the experience of those present accorded with the research, which shows there is an endemic gender bias of medical misogyny throughout our health system.

I was grateful for the frank sharing by those in the group and for the respectful way with which they all engaged. For example, Kelly shared her experience of neuroendocrine cancer and her frustration of her own misdiagnosis and the lack of awareness around that disease.

I was glad to be able to outline with the minister the positive reforms to women's health care being implemented by the Albanese Labor government, including the delivery of Australia's first endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, changes to cervical screening regulations, and funding for the delivery of bereavement care to women and families following stillbirth or miscarriage. The new National Women's Health Advisory Council will act to identify and eliminate gender bias in our health system. Health care is hard enough without an entrenched bias against half of the population.

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