Women's Health in the South East (WHISE) has welcomed the release of the Victorian Government's Inquiry into Women's Pain report, Bridging the Gender Pain Gap, describing it as a crucial step toward dismantling the systemic inequities that shape women's health in Victoria.
The report — informed by more than 13,000 women and gender-diverse people — exposes what women have long known: their pain is real, often dismissed, and too frequently treated as an afterthought in a system designed for the "reference man."
"The Inquiry lays bare a truth that women have lived with for generations — that our health system still fails to recognise and respond to women's pain," said Kit McMahon, CEO of Women's Health in the South East (WHISE).
"This report provides a roadmap to reimagine healthcare — one that believes women, embeds gender equity, and makes women's health the rule, not the exception."
A roadmap for change
The Inquiry into Women's Pain makes 27 recommendations for reform across seven key areas, including:
- Investment in women's health research to address data gaps and improve evidence about women's bodies and conditions.
- Gender-responsive policy and education, embedding lived experience and intersectionality into all health design and decision-making.
- Training for health professionals to recognise gender bias and provide trauma-informed, culturally safe care.
- Improved access to affordable and multidisciplinary care, especially in rural and regional Victoria.
- Public awareness campaigns to dismantle stigma around menstruation, menopause and chronic pain.
- Workforce development to attract, retain and support women's health specialists.
- System accountability through data, evaluation and transparent reporting on progress.
"WHISE was just delighted to see the recognition of the 'green whistle' an incredible service innovation emerging from our partners and friends at Peninsula Health," said Ms McMahon.
"We fully congratulate the team for the recognition and opportunity to scale this great health service."
WHISE's role and what we heard
In the lead-up to the Inquiry, WHISE brought women's lived experience to the forefront through a series of community forums in Mordialloc, Bass, Clyde North and Hampton Park and through partnerships with Afri-Aus Care and Wellsprings for Women.
More than 120 women and gender-diverse people shared their stories of pain, health, and resilience.
Women described pain that was dismissed, misdiagnosed, or normalised, and spoke of the deep connections between physical pain, mental health, and family violence.
They called for culturally safe care, longer consultations, better education for clinicians, and community-based supports to help women navigate the health system.
"Pain is never just physical — it's the pain of trauma, of violence, and of not being believed. What we heard from women is that pain lives in the body, the mind, and the systems around them," said Ms McMahon.
"Family violence and sexual abuse leave deep and enduring health impacts that women carry for years. Healing begins when we believe women, value their stories, and build a health system that truly centres their safety, recovery, and wellbeing."
Call to action
WHISE welcomes the Inquiry's recommendations and looks forward to contributing its expertise and regional insight to ensure that their implementation aligns with the needs of all women in the Southern Metropolitan Region, while addressing the social determinants of health that shape wellbeing.
This is not just about responding well to women's pain, it is about taking the right steps and providing the right services that meet women where they are, so that their health and wellbeing are improved, sustained, and supported.
WHISE also calls for a coordinated, whole-of-system response — uniting government, health services, education, and research — to ensure that women's health is no longer treated as peripheral, specialist, or optional.
"We need a connected and accountable health system where women's experiences and equity are embedded from the ground up. This isn't just about better care for women — it's about a fairer, smarter, and more effective health system for everyone," said Ms McMahon.
The path forward
WHISE will — like all Victorian Women's Health Services — work with the Victorian Government and local partners to support the implementation of the Inquiry's recommendations through evidence-based, intersectional practice.
"The Inquiry is not the end of the conversation — it's the beginning of structural change," said Ms McMahon. "Now is the time for government, health professionals and communities to work together to close the gender pain gap — for good."
Read the full report: Bridging the Gender Pain Gap – Inquiry into Women's Pain Read WHISE's Summary Brief:
