EDITION 1 2016

PHOTO: Christine Crosby

whw news

Auntie Faye Van Erekem (front)

with (back l-r) Kellie Tranter,
Crystal Harris, Terori HarekoSamios and Lexine Solomon.

Nan, Aunty, Mum you are a treasure

to our family
Ngahina, Health Promotion Worker

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are much less likely to participate in breast screening than
women in the general population. This is a concern because breast cancer is also the most common cancer
experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and the second leading cause of cancer death
after lung cancer.

e asked Aboriginal Elders and

Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander women about barriers
they experience in accessing breast
screening services. In response to their
feedback, which talked about a lack
of understanding or misunderstanding
of cultural safety experienced at
breast screening services, the Nan,
Aunty, Mum you are a treasure to
our family project was developed.

The collaborative project between

BreastScreen Victoria, Womens
Health West, Aboriginal community,
Aboriginal teams and community
members. The project is designed
to identify barriers facing Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander women in
accessing breast screening services
in Melbournes west and to find
solutions to overcome those barriers.

The project endeavours to respect

the principles of cultural safety and
to advocate for quality services, while
raising awareness of breast screening. It
seeks to encourage Aboriginal women
and Torres Strait Islander women
to assert what is best and preferred
by them when attending a breast
Continued on page 10

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

inside:
Our Royal Commission into Family
Violence response
page 3

School focus on respectful

relationship education
page 12

Condom project promoting

#SafeSexintheWest
page 14

womens health west equity and justice for women in the west

Lets talk sexual

and reproductive
health
Robyn Gregory, CEO, Womens Health West

id you know that around 80,000

new chlamydia infections are
reported in Australia each year
and that chlamydia notifications
have increased over the past three
years in Melbournes west?
Or that the majority of these
cases are young people?
Or that only 53 per cent of sexually
active young people in Melbournes
west report that they practice
safe sex by using a condom?
These statistics are a small snapshot
of sexual health and reproductive
realities in Melbournes west and
in Australia. They do, however,
demonstrate how sexual and
reproductive health requires
strengthening in the overall public
health conversation and national
and state policy responses. And they
illustrate a need for urgent action
in Melbournes western region.
Womens Health West takes a
regional approach to redressing the
social determinants that cause sexual
and reproductive ill health as part
of the Action for Equity partnership.
This is a four-year sexual health
and reproductive health promotion
plan for Melbournes west involving
partners from local government,
community and health sectors.
Action for Equity sees us working
in schools, prisons, workplaces,
sports centres and with health
and community services across
Melbournes west to educate a range
of target populations including
young women, Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander women, women living
with a disability, sex workers and
women from refugee and migrant

backgrounds to ultimately prevent

sexual and reproductive ill health.
While Action for Equity works
successfully at a regional level, it
would benefit by being part of a
state-wide and nationally-focussed
approach. The absence of a federal
and state policy framework limits
the impact of our work in sexual
and reproductive health, with
public policy largely concentrating
on prevention of infections or
unplanned pregnancy an individual
educational or behavioural change
approach rather than broader
systemic change to the factors that
cause poor sexual or reproductive
health, such as violence against
women, homophobic attitudes or
limited access to resources in rural
communities. The development
of a national and state-wide
policy would allow us to work
within a co-designed framework
integrating an overarching evidencebased approach for research,
program and service development,
implementation and evaluation.
If we want to achieve true health
equity, we must promote more
strategic policy action on redressing
the social determinants of sexual
and reproductive health. That is one
of Womens Health Wests goals.
Please enjoy this edition of whw
news, which highlights our
work in sexual and reproductive
health in Melbournes west.

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

About Womens
Health West

omens Health West is the womens

health service for the western
metropolitan region of Melbourne.
Our vision is to achieve equity and
justice for women in the west.
We have two main programs that
complement each other allowing
us to work across the continuum from
preventing problems, to responding
to problems after they occur.

Health promotion, research and

development

Sexual and reproductive health

Mental health and wellbeing
Prevention of violence
and discrimination

Family violence services

Crisis support
Case management
Court support
Women and childrens counselling

Connect with
WomensHealthWest
Facebook
www.facebook.com/
womenshealthwest
Twitter
www.twitter.com/whwest
LinkedIn
Instagram
www.instagram.com/
womens_health_west

ISSN # 1834-7096
Editors: Karin Holzknecht, Christine Crosby
Contributors to this edition: Alyce Vella,
Debra Wannan, Elly Taylor, Helen, Karin
Holzknecht, Maria, Melanie Sleap, Mimmie
Ngum Chi Watts, Mishelle, Nadine, Ngahina,
Nicola Harte, Nirvana Bhandary, Robyn
Gregory, Saya, Shannon Keebaugh, Sophie,
Stephanie Rich
Photographers: Christine Crosby, Nadine,
Mimmie Ngum Chi Watts
Illustrations: Isis and Pluto
Design and layout: Susan Miller,
millervision@netspace.net.au

Womens Health West acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work,
the people of the Kulin Nation, and we pay our respects to Elders and community members past
and present. We express solidarity with the ongoing struggle for land rights, self-determination,
sovereignty and the recognition of past injustices. We express our hope for reconciliation and justice.

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

Read this edition and archives of whwnews

online at www.whwest.org.au/news/
newsletter/
Edition 2 deadline: 3 June 2016
Edition 1 deadline: 19 August 2016

Royal Commission into familyviolence

A whole-of-government
commitment to
preventing violence
before it occurs
Stephanie Rich, Health Promotion Worker, Prevention of
Violence Against Women

he Commission recognised
that family violence is mostly
perpetrated by men against
women and their children, and that
the prevention of violence against
women will require tackling gender
inequality and the structures, norms,
practices and attitudes that drive it.
Womens Health West have long
advocated the need for a wholeof-government approach to
primary prevention in Victoria, and
welcomed recommendations for
the establishment of a bi-partisan
parliamentary committee on family
violence, and a family violence unit
in the Department of Premier and
Cabinet. This will ensure that family
violence stays on the political agenda
as a whole-of-community problem
requiring a whole-of-community and
whole-of-government solution.

An action plan for primary

prevention
While Womens Health West had
hoped greater attention would be
given to preventing family violence, we
were pleased to see recommendations

for the
development
of a state-wide action plan for
primary prevention, and a dedicated
prevention funding stream.
Importantly, the Commission
recognised that preventionof
family violence hasbeen largely
overlooked, and deemed coordinated
policy and sustainable funding for
prevention an immediate priority.
The Commission emphasised that
the proposed state-wide prevention
action plan should be informed
by the Gender Equality Strategy
currently being developed by the
Victorian Government. Womens
Health West hopes to see strong
linkages between the two plans,
recognising that redressing gender
inequality will be fundamental to
ending violence against women in
Victoria, and supporting womens
right to safety, equality and respect.

The role of womens health

services
Womens health services were
recognised for their long-standing

ILLUSTRATIONS: Isis and Pluto

On 30 March 2016 the Royal Commission into

Family Violence released 227 recommendations
to redress the current family violence crisis in
Victoria. These included recommendations to prevent
violence against women before it occurs, known as
primaryprevention.

commitment to preventing violence

against women, noting their
existing expertise as essential for the
development of effective prevention
programs. The leadership provided
by womens health services in leading
regional prevention plans across
Victoria was also noted, with the
wests own Preventing Violence
Together regional plan, led by
Womens Health West, referenced
as an example of a promising
coordinated prevention system.
With the commitment made by
Premier Daniel Andrews to implement
all 227 recommendations, Womens
Health West look forward to working
with the government and our
partners in advancing the prevention
of violence against women across
Victoria, and supporting womens
right to live free from violence
and discrimination in the west.
Find out more about the Royal
Commission into Family Violence report
recommendations: www.rcfv.com.au

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

Behind the scenes

WHW Board

Africas gender dividend:

transform not conform

The Gender Pre-Summit

for the 8th African Union
delegation in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, January 2016

Dr Mimmie Ngum Chi Watts, Womens Health West board director

In January 2016 Womens Health Wests board director Dr Mimmie Ngum Chi Watts attended the Gender
Pre-Summit for the 8th African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Mimmie writes how the African Union is
leading the charge across the continent to recognise the rights and contribution of women to society.

T
Sustainable economic
development cannot
happen if over half
the population are
unable to participate
fully in the economy.

he Gender Pre-Summit was

both inspiring and interesting,
bringing together ministers
of gender and womens affairs, as
well as ambassadors, civil society
organisations, health professionals,
United Nations representatives,
academics, members of the Gender Is
My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC), Pan
African womens organisations from
across the continent, and international
experts working in gender or related
areas who are also of African heritage.
My overall impression from the presummit is that Africa is NOT what the
media tells us. I am not suggesting
that the continent is problem-free, but
that many goals are being achieved
despite the odds, particularly in the
area of gender reform, with the
African Union leading the charge.
In 2016 the African Unions 54 member
states declared 2016 the African Year
of Human Rights, with particular focus
on the rights of women, or simply the
AU 2016 Project. This follows on from

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

the 2015 African Year of Womens

Empowerment and Development and
the African Union declaring 20102020
as the decade of African women.
Significant progress has been made
in recognising the quality of womens
leadership in the region, and their efforts
in carrying womens rights forward
in Africa are to be commended.
Africa has had three recent female
heads of state: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
of Liberia, Joyce Banda of Malawi,
and Catherine Samba-Panza of the
Central African Republic. Each of these
women have stepped in (elected or
otherwise) after conflicts, crises or
simply after the boys have fought.
The current chair of the African Union
Commission is a leading woman
Dr Dlamini Zuma. In her keynote
address at the gender pre-summit, she
spoke to key themes highlighting the
status of women and challenges still
facing women across Africa; some of
her key points are included here.

Poverty and economic rights

An estimated 70 per cent of women
across Africa are excluded from
economic participation. It is estimated
that African women own roughly 5 to
30 per cent of the land. Feminisation
of poverty has disadvantaged women,
especially widows, single mothers and
teenage mothers. However, many
countries have made significant gains in
promoting the rights of women to own
property and other assets. Sustainable
economic development cannot happen
if over half the population are unable
to participate fully in the economy.
There is increasing awareness of
this gender dividend women
are a latent asset that, if fully used,
would boost economic growth.

Photos: (from top)

Mimmie at the Australian
Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Mimmie (right) with
the Western Sarahawi
Delegation.
Enjoying an Ethiopian
coffee at a wedding.

Education
In sub-Saharan Africa, only 23 per cent
of girls in rural areas will complete
primary school; at the current rate they
will not achieve equality until 2086!
We cannot wait for that. On the other
hand, 10 countries now have equal
secondary school enrolments, and
13 countries have achieved gender
parity across primary and secondary
schools. Again, improving access to
education for girls will release latent
potential for economic growth. There
are concerted efforts on the continent
to invest in the participation of girls in
STEM subjects Sciences, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics which
was almost unthinkable 15 years ago.

Women and conflict

PHOTOS: Courtesy Dr Mimmie Ngum Chi Watts

Dr Zuma highlighted that women are

the main victims of conflict, pointing
out no peace, no development, and
the need to engender the peace
process by giving women a substantial
place at the negotiating table!
In conclusion, Dr Zuma repeatedly
urged summit participants and leaders
to transform, not conform, to bring
change and be seen as agents of the
change they both desire and badly need.
Download Mimmies report to the
Victorian Multicultural Commission on
African womens rights:
www.multicultural.vic.gov.au/
resources/news/news/306

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

Behind the scenes

Join the Board

WHW Staff

Do you want equity and justice for women?

Do you live, work or study in Melbournes West?

Alyce Vella

PHOTO: Scout Kozakiewicz

HEALTH
PROMOTION
WORKER

Our board (l-r) Maria Di Gregorio, Dr Mimmie Ngum Chi Watts, Nicola Rabot,
LaraRafferty, Sam Merrigan, Catherine Harding. (Catherine Bateman absent)

Womens Health West is currently seeking nominations from

interested members to join the board of directors.
Womens Health West works to change the conditions that
cause and maintain womens oppression, by delivering family
violence services and health promotion activities.
As a volunteer board director you would join a diverse and
respected group of nine directors at monthly meetings in
Footscray, as well as representing the board on at least one task
group. We ask for your commitment of time and energy.
This is your opportunity to contribute:

Recognised leadership skills

Strategic leadership, financial management and compliance,

strategic planning, performance management and evaluation

Expertise and understanding of womens health in a social

context

You will enjoy stimulating discussion and the support of a great

team as we work to achieve our ambitious goals.
If this sounds like you then we would love to hear from you.
Please phone Julie Veszpremi on (03) 9689 9588.

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

Before joining
Womens Health
West, I worked
in research relating to
alcohol and drug use, sex work, young
people and technology. Ive also had
the opportunity to conduct evaluations
of health services and campaigns, and
design a website featuring real-life
stories from young people about the
ramifications of technology use. Career
highlights include attending AIDS
2014 (I got a selfie with Bob Geldof)
and running sexual health workshops
with students in Ireland (Miss, do
koalas really have chlamydia?). While
I enjoyed research, I found it lacked
community engagement and the real-life
experiences of people, which is what
led me to explore health promotion. I
have already learnt so much from the
WHW team and cant wait to work on
other exciting projects in the future!

Erin
FAMILY VIOLENCE OUTREACH WORKER

My first job was as a swimming

instructor, which led to various roles
working with children who have
disabilities. After completing my first
degree in international relations, I
was fortunate enough to be given
the opportunity to become a peer
educator with the You, Me and Us
program at WHW. This introduced me
to many inspiring young women, as
well as giving me the idea of taking
up social work as a profession. I then
completed my Master of Social Work
and things came full circle when I got
my first job as a social worker with
WHW! I am looking forward to working
at such a wonderful organisation and
learning from so many skilled women.

HEALTH
PROMOTION
COORDINATOR

Im a qualified
social worker
and have worked in the
human services field for twenty years.
My very first experience in the field
was doing voluntary work in order to
be accepted into a social work postgraduate degree. I worked for a little
organisation called St Anthonys just
down the road, which is now called
MacKillop Family Services, alongside
an education worker providing
support to children with high risk and
challenging behaviours. This was my
entry into working within the family
and youth services sector, where I
worked for many years. I have worked
in various roles including counselling,
group-work facilitation, project
management, mental health promotion
and management roles. The skills I
bring to this role are staff support
and supervision, project management
experience, community and stakeholder
engagement and management.

Ngahina
HEALTH PROMOTION WORKER

I am a proud Maori woman (Ngati

Whatua). Integral to me is the
importance of family and culture, from
growing up and raising my own family
in New Zealand. I have a background
in nursing, with further career roles
over twenty years specialising in
working with community to support
improvements in womens health, child
health and Maori health. I travelled from
Christchurch to Melbourne in 2014 and
have held roles as a senior caseworker
for the Cradle to Kinder Program at
the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care
Agency, and as a facilitator of Sacred
Sistas workshops with the Wulumperi
team in the Indigenous Sexual Health
Unit of the Melbourne Sexual Health

Centre. I started at Womens Health

West in October 2015, specialising in
sexual health and reproductive health,
and supporting the development of
initiatives from community consultation.
I am working on new health promotion
programs and health promotion
projects raising the profile of sexual
and reproductive health for Aboriginal
youth and Aboriginal women living
and/or working in the west.

therapeutically with children who have

experienced trauma. 2014 was a big year
for me: I completed further studies in
childrens counselling, had a baby, moved
house and set up a private counselling
practice. Im very excited to have joined
the amazing WHW childrens counselling
team and to be given the opportunity
to offer play therapy services. I
have an obsession with reading,
good coffee, my daughter, sleeping
through the night and the beach.

Maria
CHILDRENS COUNSELLOR

Claudia

I am a clinical art therapist with extensive

experience working with children, youth
and Aboriginal women and community.
For the past five years, I have been
facilitating counselling and art therapy
groups in youth refuges, schools, and
for children who have experienced
homelessness and family violence.
Im passionate about advocating for
childrens voices to be valued and
respected and find joy in supporting
the many different ways that children
communicate. I have landed my dream
job as a Childrens Counsellor and
Group Therapist at Womens Health
West, and am so excited to be part
of a counselling team with other art
therapists. Its great that the team shares
knowledge and experience in how art
and play can support a child to engage
in a therapeutic process where they can
explore themselves and their experiences
of violence in a developmentally
appropriate way. When Im not working,
I love going to the beach, visiting new
places, listening to music and having fun.

FAMILY VIOLENCE PROJECT

COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENING RISK
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

I have a passion for social justice and

working with women, as I believe that
its paramount that women and children
live in a violence-free environment,
where they can be their own writers
of their own stories. I have worked at
the Eastern Domestic Violence Service
as an intensive case manager working
closely with culturally and linguistically
diverse women, which provided me
with a better understanding of the
many obstacles and struggles migrant
women experience. My last role was
at Australian Red Cross working with
asylum seekers, which was such a great
learning experience. Both groups were
rewarding to work with, witnessing their
resilience and empowerment to seek
change and independence. Outside of
work, I love crocheting, am a big fan of
Netflix and am an avid reader of fiction.

Helen
CHILDRENS COUNSELLOR

I graduated as a social worker in 2002

and went on a ten year voyage working
across many community sectors like
homelessness, drug and alcohol, aged
care, adult and child disability, public
health, mental health and with asylum
seekers in Melbourne and London
before discovering my passion working

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

PHOTOS: Karin Holzknecht

Eleni
Kyrpigikidis

A creative approach to
supporting children
Nadine, Maria, Helen, Saya

At Womens Health West our childrens counsellors have used therapeutic creative arts
in their SPLASh program to support children who are having trouble managing their
emotions after experiencing family violence. Here we look at how a SPLASh group can
achieve positive internal or external changes in a child.

Why children may be referred

As a result of experiencing family violence
many children experience difficulty in regulating
their emotions. This might result in them
hurting other children or not tolerating limits.
They might be having trouble at school with
learning or find it difficult to negotiate in
the playground. A child may be overlooked
as the good child who is overly compliant,
helpful, always neat and organised, yet
underneath they might be feeling anxious.

Process goals that are upheld during group

sessions can assist with outcome goals for
children, such as feeling safe, knowing its okay
to feel and express feelings, learning that abuse
is not okay, and we have the right to be safe.
A combination of process and outcome
goals support the overall aims and
objectives of the SPLASh group:

To provide a safe and supportive

environment for children who have
experienced family violence

The benefits of a therapeutic group can be

different for each child, as every child is unique.
Internal or external changes in a childs world
can be noticed at different times both during
and following the completion of group.

To build childrens understanding

of their emotions and how to
express them in healthy ways

To build childrens social skills, confidence,

self-esteem and sense of personal wellbeing

Process goals and outcome goals

are used to guide the planning and
running of the group, and support the
groups overall aims and objectives.

To support mothers to enhance their

connectedness to their children

To build positive relationships

outside the family unit

Process goals are goals that facilitators hold

in mind when planning group activities,
and during immediate group member
interactions. Examples of process goals
include maintaining group rules, education
around feelings and defining violence.

To help children understand

that they are not alone

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

When running SPLASh groups for children

who have experienced family violence,
these common themes generally emerge.
Expressing emotions:
Children explore all feelings are okay,
but not all behaviours are okay

What is it like when others are unsafe in

expressing strong emotions, particularly
anger, which has generally been expressed
dangerously by the person using violence?

Gender:
Perceptions of gender, what messages are
given about acceptable behaviour, how
to be strong without using violence?
Relationships:
Disappointment/broken trust

Conflicting feelings (loving the person

using violence, but fearing them)

Resources/strengths and safety:

Who or what helps you to
manage strong emotions?

Making a personal safety plan

Strengths: what do you like,
what are you good at?

For some children this might be the first

time they have directly expressed anything
about their experiences of family violence.
When these themes arise in group, children
have a sense of shared experience: theyre
not alone in having experienced trauma,
disappointment and loss other kids
have been through tough stuff too!

Creating a contained/ safe

environment for participants
The facilitators consider a number of aspects
in making sure that children feel comfortable,
encouraged and safe while being at, and
participating in, the group. Consistency in
responses and environment are key. Routine
and predictability are especially important
to increase a childs feelings of safety.
The room is set up the same way each
week, and the group is held at the same
time and place. The sessions have a
predictable pattern to them, with a similar
activity at the beginning and end of each
group. A chill out space is available if
children need time away from the group.
Facilitators responses to children are also
predictable. They remain curious, and notice
things out loud. They support children to do
things for themselves to encourage a sense
of the child being capable. The facilitation
team also model positive and respectful
communication and everyone in the room
takes responsibility for their mistakes.
When working using art, facilitators also:
Avoid interpreting or offering judgements
around childrens art work

Communicate acceptance of
childrens experiences

Notice their process and

comment where appropriate

Remain respectful when handling art work

Are child-led it might be important for a

child to destroy or throw their work away

Provide the option of taking work

home, or inform children how it
will be stored if it is left behind

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

PHOTOS: Nadine

Common themes

PHOTOS: Christine Crosby

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

Nan, Aunty, Mum you are a

treasure to our family

Nan, Aunty, Mum you are a treasure to our

family workshop at Footscray Library and
BreastScreen Victoria Footscray clinic visit.

Continued from page 1

screening appointment. Community
consultation is central to this project.

The womens groups generally

follow this format:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander women meet at an
accessible community space
for a two-hour session

An information session is held on

womens health and breast screening

Previous experiences of breast

screening and what prevents women
from returning for their next breast
screen are openly discussed and
shared. This discussion also focuses
on womens positive experiences

Courtesy: BreastScreen Victoria

Delivery of the project and what

happens during a womens group
A number of informative womens
groups will be held across the
west to help remove barriers to
access. Advocacy from this project
has seen the development of
group bookings for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander women being
offered in four locations: Footscray,
Sunshine, Werribee and Melton.
The project will host the womens
groups between February and November
2016. It is anticipated that between
200-250 Aboriginal women and Torres
Strait Islander women living, and/
or working in the west will attend
one of these womens groups.

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

Transport can be provided if required

to attend the womens group

A guided tour of the breast screen

clinic is given, where women are
walked through what will happen
at an actual appointment

The tour includes viewing

a room where women will
go for a mammogram

Lunch and a gift pack of health

information is provided

The guided tour for Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander women is designed
to build rapport between community
members and breast screen services
staff, such as receptionists and
radiographers. The opportunity for
women to participate in this group prior
to attending an appointment allows

10

women to become familiar with the

service and so reduce anxiety about
attending a breast screen appointment.
During the group session BreastScreen
Victoria staff will assist women to
access their information from their
database and update their contact
details on BreastScreen Victorias online
register. Women will also be informed
of the date of their next mammogram
and given this information in a
sealed envelope to ensure privacy.
A further initiative of this project is
creating opportunities for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander women to
participate in group breast screening
clinics. The group clinics will be trialled
in Footscray, Sunshine, Werribee
and Melton throughout 2016.
Nan, Aunty, Mum you are a
treasure to our family will include an
evaluation form to gather feedback and
recommendations for service quality
improvements and best practice in
working with Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander women. This evaluation
will be available in either written format
or online for participants to complete.
More information: breastscreen.org.au
Want to know more? Contact
Ngahina on 9689 9588, email
ngahina@whwest.org.au, or
contact your local Aboriginal
Health Worker/team.

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

RESEARCH REPORT

The social determinants of sexual

and reproductive health inequities
Elly Taylor, Acting Manager Health Promotion, Research and Development

In 2015, Womens Health West contracted Deakin University to undertake a rigorous literature review to
investigate and determine what influences the inequities associated with sexual and reproductive health in
Australia and internationally.

exual and reproductive health,

like other areas of health, is
influenced by a complex interplay
of biological, physical and social
determinants. The burden of disease is
not equally distributed among Victorians.
Some population groups are more
likely to experience health inequities
because differences in their education,
income, employment status, and other
socioeconomic, political, interpersonal
and cultural factors intersect to intensify
inequity. Similarly, positive changes
to political and economic structures,
public policies, living and working
conditions, and individual lifestyle
choices can work together to bring
about health improvements. Gathering
information about the main causes of
sexual and reproductive health inequity

assists us to focus on those areas most

likely to bring about those changes.
The Helen Macpherson Smith Trust
awarded a three-year grant to Womens
Health West in 2014 to further the work
of the Action for Equity partnership. The
grant includes support for a literature
review of the social determinants of
sexual and reproductive health inequity.
This research is an international first and
will support evidence-based practice
in the west and throughout Victoria.
Deakin University recently concluded
this work and the evidence is
clear. The research report makes a
case for six social determinants of
sexual and reproductive health:

11

1
2
3
4
5
6

Gender norms
Cultural and societal norms
Violence, discrimination and stigma
Public policy and the law
Socio-economic status
Access to culturally appropriate,
accessible healthcare and services.

It is these social determinants that

governments, organisations and
practitioners must consider when
developing public policy, programs and
practice to work towards sustainable
and equitable health outcomes for
communities throughout Victoria.
For further information about this
research or to attend its launch
contact info@whwest.org.au

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

Teaching respectful relationships

in Wyndham schools
Melanie Sleap, Health Promotion Worker

Womens Health Wests

You, Me and Us program is
a multi-faceted respectful
relationships education
program that works to
redress the drivers of mens
violence against women
by promoting equal and
respectful relationships
between young people.

eaching young people the

importance of equal and respectful
relationships, and providing them
with the skills to enact those equitable
intimate relationships, is an evidencebased key action in the primary
prevention of violence against women
(for more information, see the Victorian
Government Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development
publication from 2009, Respectful
relationships education: violence
prevention and respectful relationships
education in Victorian secondary schools).
Womens Health West developed You,
Me and Us in 2011 and successfully
delivered it to over 3,500 young people
in a two year period. The program
targets young people aged 10 to 13 and
18 to 24 in schools, sporting clubs, youth
organisations and higher educational
institutions. The program uses a peer
education model where young women
aged between 18 and 24 years codeliver the respectful relationships
education sessions. Professional

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

12

development is also delivered to

adults in those settings to ensure
sustainability of program messages.
School Focused Youth Services Hobsons
Bay/Wyndham funded a partnership
between themselves, Womens
Health West and the Smith Family in
2015 to deliver You, Me and Us: The
Wyndham Community Hub Schools
Project to three schools in Wyndham.
This iteration of the program replaced
the peer education component
with training, capacity building and
support for primary school teachers.
Teachers co-delivered the program
with the Womens Health West health
promotion worker. The modification
to the program was designed to
increase its long-term sustainability
in the three participating schools.
Teachers from the participating schools
commented that they had received
appropriate support and training and
consequently felt confident to deliver
the respectful relationships education

The You, Me and Us program was

a really important program for us
at WPPS. The focus on helping
our grade 5/6 students build
respectful relationships with one
another was both engaging and
meaningful. Having [the Womens
Health West health promotion
worker] skilfully guide staff and
students through this program at
all levels, from planning to direct
delivery of the workshops, was the
key to success. We would be the
first in line to receive this program
again, should it be offered!
Julia McCahon, Assistant Principal,
Wyndham Park Primary School
Program evaluation for You, Me and Us
showed positive increases for students in
knowledge and attitudes across three key
areas: respectful relationships, gender
equity and bystander action. Participants
unequivocally stated that they enjoyed
the interactive sessions and learnt:

Boys and girls can

be equal (Young
male, 2015)
Respectful relationships are about
accepting people for who they
are (Young female, 2015)
About stereotypes and how people
can judge other people for the
gender they are (Young female, 2015)
About stepping in and being an
active bystander (Young male, 2015)

The programs professional development

for school staff, including teachers,
wellbeing staff and leadership teams,
also successfully raised awareness
of the prevalence of mens violence
against women, prevention approaches,
gender equity
and bystander
intervention. For
example, when
asked what
factors lead to
gender-based
violence, 100
per cent of
participants
correctly
answered
rigid
stereotypes
and gender
roles for women

13

and men after training, as opposed

to 91.7 per cent prior to training.
You, Me and Us: The Wyndham
Community Hub Schools Project
again demonstrates the impact and
importance of respectful relationships
education and the success a program
can have if it aligns with good
practice principles, takes a whole-ofschool approach, and is underpinned
by a gender equity framework.
More information about You, Me
and Us can be found at www.
whwest.org.au/you-me-us

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

ILLUSTRATIONS: Isis and Pluto

content into the future. Teachers also

recognised the importance of partnering
with an organisation with expertise in
respectful relationships, gender equity
and knowledge in understanding how
to apply a whole-of-school approach.

Caption: (l-r) Health Promotion

Worker Alyce Vella with
Maribyrnong City Council
Health and Wellbeing
Planner, Imke
Wittebrood and
Agent of YEAH,
Natalie Coburn
at Victoria
Universitys
O-Fest.

PHOTO: Christine Crosby

sexual &
reproductive
health edition

#SafeSexInTheWest
Using social media to educate young people
about sexual and reproductive health
Alyce Vella, Health Promotion Worker

Redress via a retweet?

The use of social media in Australia
continues to grow, with 70 per cent
of internet users currently holding
a social media account. Facebook
remains the most commonly used
network, claiming 90 per cent of social
media users. Young Australians have
indicated that, while sexual health can

be a taboo topic to discuss, the

use of informative and humorous
videos and other novel methods
can reduce stigma about a topic.
The aim of the #SafeSexInTheWest
social media campaign was to
normalise the discussion of safe sexual
practices and sexual and reproductive
health, while tackling the often
forgotten topics of pleasure and consent.
The #SafeSexInTheWest campaign ran
across two weeks in the lead-up to and
during Sexual Health Awareness Week
(14-21 February) and focused on the
key themes of Respect, Consent, Choice
and Pleasure. Colourful infographics,
videos and links to websites were posted
across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Condom vending machines

Another aim of the campaign was to
increase the currently inadequate use
of condoms in the west by sharing
information on where to access low
cost condoms. The Condom Vending
Machine (CVM) project is a collaborative
venture of the Action for Equity
partnership, led by Womens Health
West, designed to increase access to
affordable condoms in the west. There
are five machines currently installed in
the west through the CVM project:

One of the images shared during the

campaign, providing information on where to
access low cost and free condoms in the west

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

Hannah Watts Park, Melton

Melton Library and Learning Hub
Caroline Springs Leisure Centre
Footscray Library
Visy Cares Hub, Sunshine

Placing machines in central, discreet

and easily accessible locations is key to

14

the success of this pilot project (which

is still in progress), as well as ensuring
condoms are inexpensive. In a preinstallation consultation conducted
by Brimbank Youth Services, young
people indicated that they were
embarrassed to buy condoms from
stores, chemists and supermarkets,
but would use the machines as long
as condoms were affordable. Condom
prices range from 20 cents each in
Sunshine to $1 for two in Footscray,
Melton and Caroline Springs.
The use of social media to promote
#SafeSexInTheWest has proven
beneficial, with a total of 127 new
followers of WHWs Facebook page and
Instagram account. Over 20,000 people
were reached via Facebook and Twitter,
in addition to media coverage in the
local area. Womens Health West and
YEAH (Youth Empowerment Against
HIV) also promoted the CVMs at Victoria
University on 23 February with positive
response from students. CVM sales
data for the campaign period is still to
be collected. We hope to continue to
engage with young people and reach
other community groups through
broader strategies in the near future.
For more, please visit
www.whwest.org.au/srh/wordpress/
The CVM project is proudly supported
by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.

IMAGES: Alyce Vella

oung people in the west experience

higher than average rates of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) and
unplanned pregnancies. This is likely to
follow unsafe sexual practices, inadequate
sexual health knowledge and lack of
access to affordable contraception, such
as condoms. STIs such as chlamydia
are most commonly diagnosed among
young people. Because chlamydia does
not have any symptoms it can remain
undiagnosed, leading to lasting infections
and poor health outcomes including
pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.

Good leadership knows no gender,

race or age
Nirvana Bhandary, Health Promotion Worker

In January, eight women from Nepal, Vietnam, Romania, Myanmar and Australia, along with a peer
educator from Ethiopia, participated in Lead On Again, a transformative leadership program for culturally
diverse young women aged 16-24 from Melbournes west.

The program builds on participants

interests and includes sessions on
networking, spoken word poetry,
human rights, media and influence,
sexuality and yoga, as well as a
discussion on culture and faith.
The young women identified that the
networking and human rights workshop
had strengthened their capacity as
leaders, and the spoken word poetry,
and culture and faith sessions enabled
them to draw on their current strengths,
and share their stories in a personal
and creative way. Lead On Again
participant Reanna Clark said, Lead On
Again has taught me that leadership
knows no gender, race or age.
The final day of Lead On Again was
dedicated to learning about event

management and how to run a

community event. This assisted the
participants to successfully organise a
public screening of the film I am a Girl
for International Womens Day at the

VisyHub in Sunshine. Over 30 people

attended the free event, which included
speeches by participants, community
artwork displays and food catered for
by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

A new opportunity
Lead On Again was an exceptionally wonderful
experience for me. In this program I met
other young women with completely different
opinions and faith and yet with similar
determination towards leadership. I enjoyed
all the intellectual workshops, motivational
speakers and most importantly engaging with
all the participants in a friendly environment.
To anyone who wants to enhance their
leadership skills, learn a wide range of
new ideas, meet new people, make friends
and want to have fun, I highly recommend
Lead On Again, as I would like others to
have the same opportunity to experience
a program that I myself truly enjoyed.
Amrita

PHOTOS: Sally Camilleri

ead On Again is a six-day leadership

program that is delivered in
partnership between Womens
Health West and Western Young Peoples
Independent Network (WYPIN) with
funding from Brimbank City Council.

Stepping out of my
comfort zone
I always feel a bit anxious about trying
new things; taking that step out of my
comfort zone. The prospect of leadership,
in particular, makes me nervous due to
associations with public speaking and big
ideas. Such feelings arose in the days prior
to participating in Lead on Again, but
when I arrived at the program I realised
such fears were futile. The program
fostered a wonderfully supportive sense
of community among a group of likeminded, inspiring young women. Any
feelings of anxiety I had were gone by the
end of the week, replaced by thoughts
of empowerment and motivation.
Shadow

15

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

Strengthening the child-mother bond

Mishelle, Childrens Worker

When a mother experiences family violence, so do her children. They may have witnessed their mother
being assaulted and/or been directly assaulted themselves, or they might live in a fearful environment with
a frightened or frightening caregiver. It is vital that women living in this situation know that they can access
support and provide support to their children from pregnancy and as a new mother.

The greatest gift we

can give children in the
aftermath of family
violence is to strengthen
the relationship with
theirmothers
Cathy Humphreys,
Professor of Social Work,
University of Melbourne

Following birth, the impact of family

violence on an infants development
can include constant crying, an
inability to be soothed, feeding
problems, sleep disturbances, hyperarousal and hyper-vigilance, intense
distress during transitions, and
difficulty managing frustration.
Toddlers may experience problems with
emotional regulation resulting in severe
tantrums, rebellious behaviour, intense
separation anxiety, wariness of strangers,
social avoidance and withdrawal and
constrained play. Toddlers might also
regress to baby-like behaviour and
suffer physical complaints or illness.
An infant who seems to be constantly
sleeping might in fact be trying
to escape their external world, by
disappearing inside themselves in an
attempt to find safety. The good
or placid baby who does not make
appropriate demands on their caregivers,
never crying, and avoiding initiating play
or interaction, might be emotionally
withdrawing and shutting down as
a response to a fearful and
unpredictable environment
of family violence.

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

16

Family violence can disrupt or sever the

child-mother relationship because of
the direct undermining behaviour of
the abusive partner, or indirectly as a
womans capacity to parent is disabled
as a result of the severity and frequency
of the violence. Research also shows that
a womans parenting can significantly
improve in the first six months of leaving
when the abuse and violence ceases.
Womens Health West, in partnership
with Berry Street, has developed a
parenting kit to assist women who
experience family violence. The kit
was first developed in 2003, with
the latest edition providing new and
updated fact sheets on pregnancy
and violence, and parenting a baby
who has experienced violence from
birth to 18 months. These fact sheets
advise women where they can access
support, and information about how to
support their child/ren and strengthen
or mend the child-mother bond.
The kit also provides tips on developing
sleeping and eating routines for
babies, emphasises the importance
of play and other activities with
babies including talking and singing
to the child, eye contact, smiling
and making faces, cuddles, peeka-boo and soothing activities like
massaging baby after a bath.
For more information on Choosing
Positive Paths see next page.

ILLUSTRATION: Isis and Pluto

amily violence has a powerful impact

on the developing infant. Even before
a baby is born they are at risk of harm
from physical violence inflicted upon their
mothers, and from prolonged exposure to
high cortisol levels (a hormone associated
with heightened levels of stress and
fear) produced by their mother when
she experiences stress or violence.

FEATURED PUBLICATION

Choosing Positive Paths

Nicola Harte, Communications Manager
Nadine, Childrens Counsellor
Shannon Keebaugh, Berry Street

The Choosing Positive Paths resource kit is a joint initiative of

Womens Health West and Berry Street. Initially developed in
2003, the resource kit has had an update and we are proud to
present the brand new version!

he parenting kit is intended to

help all primary carers mothers,
fathers, grandparents, aunts, family
friends, foster parents with information
on what to expect from and how to
respond to children at all ages and stages
who have experienced family violence.

The new edition incorporates

changes in legislation, policy
and practice since the kit was
originally released in 2003.
And its all presented using
the warm and diverse imagery
of illustrators Isis and Pluto.

The kits are also a useful resources

for professionals who work with
families, such as social workers,
counsellors, doctors, teachers, lawyers
or child protection workers.

You can download free

pdfs of each factsheet
or order hardcopies
of the kit from www.
whwest.org.au/resources/
choosing-positive-paths or
www.childhoodinstitute.
org.au/Resources

The fact sheets are divided into age

groups ranging from pregnancy to
teenagers. They include practical
tips on how to talk to children about
feelings, worries, family changes,
safety, separation and moving house.
They also suggest trauma-informed
activities to help women and children
re-build their relationships.

Please note that we

charge a fee to cover
postage costs, or you
can elect to pick up
hardcopies for free from
our office see below.

ORDER FORM
Womens Health West Publications

Order by mail

This form may be used as a Tax Invoice for GST purposes

Order Form Tax Invoice
ABN 24 036 234 159

Communications Worker
Womens Health West
317 319 Barkly Street FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011

Order by fax

03 9689 3861

Order by email

info@whwest.org.au

Order by phone

03 9689 9588

Payment

Please send payment with your order or we can

invoice you. Cheques payable to: Womens
Health West

Choosing Positive Paths parenting kits

Description

Postage fee

Single folder

$5

5 x folders

$18

10 x folders

$20

20 x folders

$30

I will pick up my order from

WHW office.
Please insert
quantity here:

DELIVERY DETAILS
Name:
Organisation:
Postal Address:
Postcode:

FREE

Phone: Fax:
Email:

A range of brochures and fact sheets are available from our web site
www.whwest.org.au/resources

17

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

EVENTS Notices
Conferences

Upcoming dates
15 May

International
Day of Families

17 May

International
Day Against
Homophobia,
Bi-phobia and
Trans-phobia

21 May

World Day for

Cultural Diversity

26 May

National Sorry Day

27 May
3 June

National
Reconciliation Week

This conference is expected to attract over 500 professionals working within and
outside the health promotion sector. The conference aims to consolidate the
diverse range of topics that are dealt with in health promotion by encouraging
presenters to connect those topics back to the core principles of the Ottawa
Charter. This will be achieved through the integration of the five principles in
the conference sub-themes. More information at www.ahpa2016.com.au

28 May

International Day
of Action for
Womens Health

1 June

Global Day
of Parents

3rd Indigenous Stop Domestic and Family Violence World

Conference

7 June

Ramadan begins

19-25 June

Refugee Week

20 June

World Refugee Day

3-10 July

NAIDOC Week

7 July

Eid Al Fitr

9 August

International Day
of the Worlds
Indigenous Peoples

23rd National Conference: Australian Health Promotion

Association Connecting the Dots
1922 June 2016
Rendezvous Hotel Scarborough, Western Australia

1416 September 2016

Stamford Grand, Adelaide Beach Hotel, Glenelg
This conference is held every two years and this year it will be organised
by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Womens Alliance
(NATSIWA) and Indigenous Conference Services (Australia). This conference
aims to reduce the incidence of family violence at all levels and bring
together men, women and organisations as a united voice against domestic
and family violence. More information at www.indigenousconferences.
com/#!2016-international-domestic-violence-/c1zpe

21st Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International

Conference 2016
2628 October 2016
Intercontinental Rialto, Melbourne
This conference, presented by the Judith Lumley Centre, School of Midwifery and
Nursing at La Trobe University, brings together global researchers, health and social
service providers and advocates to exchange knowledge and ideas and generate
best practices to prevent and/or reduce the impacts of violence on women,
children and families. Sessions will focus on research, practice, innovations and
policy directions. More information can be found at www.latrobe.edu.au

whwnews EDITION 1 2016

18

donations
Debra Wannan, Finance Officer
Sophie, Crisis Accommodation Coordinator

omens Health West extend our warmest thanks for the

following contributions from beginning October 2015 to
end of February 2016. These much-appreciated donations
and grants help us to enhance our programs and services. Every
donation goes straight to assisting women and children.

Clare Keyes-Liley
and her daughter
Harriet with
Anna Morrison:
ready to celebrate
International
Womens Day
with a fundraiser
for Womens
Health West

PHOTOS: Courtesy Clare Keyes-Liley

A big thank you out to the 70 people who joined Clare Keyes-Liley
and Anna Morrison at their fundraising event at Two Birds Brewing in
Spotswood in March 2016. Clare said they were motivated to organise
a fundraiser for Womens Health West because, We were keen to
organise an event that celebrated International Womens Day, whilst
highlighting the fight we still have ahead of us for womens economic
and social equality.

Donor

Type of Donation

Private donor

Kitchenware

Salvation Army

Christmas presents for

clients in refuge

Melton Owl
Branch CWA

Pamper packs and

toothbrushes

safe steps

100 New Day boxes and

Christmas puddings

Impact for Women

Personal packs and house

bags with childrens
toys and activities

Private donors

Kitchenware, PJs and

underwear purchased
new, furniture and TV,
wooden horse rocker

Sea Breeze Quilters

and Footscray Hospital
Theatre Staff

Quilts, toiletries, Christmas

hampers, books, toys,
etc. and $905

Donor

Purpose

Magistrates' Court of
Victoria, Criminal Justice
Diversion program

5 x court
ordered funds

$1,800

Girl Guides Association

of Victoria (Hoppers
Crossing)

Donation from
fundraising

$1,000

Australian Labor Party

Victoria Branch

Donation
from raffle

Women of the West

Donation from
fundraiser event

Private donors

Donations

TOTAL

Amount

$50
$144
$3,630
$6,624

Donations are tax deductible. To donate online

www.whwest.org.au/about-us/donations

MEMBERSHIP FORM

All women living, working or studying in the western

metropolitan region of Melbourne are eligible for
membership of WHW, as are organisations whose client
base includes the western region.

TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP

CONTACT DETAILS

Individual Voting Member

ADDRESS

(woman who lives, works or studies in the western metro region)

NAME
SUBURB POSTCODE

Organisational Member

(organisation in, or whose client-base includes, the region)

PHONE (W)

PHONE (H)

O R G A N I S AT I O N

(Individual members only)

EMAIL ADDRESS
C O N TA C T P E R S O N

(This person is also eligible to attend and vote at our Annual General Meeting)

S I G N AT U R E D AT E

POSITION

Associate Non-voting Member

(individual or organisation outside the region)

Membership is free. To apply, fill in this form and mail to: W

 omens Health West
317319 Barkly Street, Footscray VIC 3011

whw in the news

Womens Health West

317-319 Barkly Street
Footscray 3011
phone
fax
email
website

womens health west equity and justice for women in the west

9689 9588

9689 3861

info@whwest.org.au

www.whwest.org.au