Fatima Halloum and Molly Magennis
Women’s health service GenWest has welcomed a funding boost allocated in the state budget on Tuesday, May 3.
Twelve Victorian women’s health services will receive a share of $19.4 million over two years.
GenWest interim chief executive Kate Phillips said the funding would allow them to continue doing vital work to promote health and wellbeing and prevent family violence.
“This is the first funding increase we’ve seen for our primary prevention work in over 30 years,” Ms Phillips said.
“This increase in funding will allow us to reach many more communities in Melbourne’s west with our vital health, safety and wellbeing programs over the coming two years.”
Ms Phillips said there is a need for the funding to become an ongoing core health promotion in the future.
“Victorian women were hit hardest by the pandemic, and critical funding for gender equity, family violence and women’s health will contribute to ensuring a recovery that is equitable,” Ms Phillips said.
GenWest say their health promotion and prevention programs reached nearly 65,000 people living in the West in 2021.
They provided groups for socially isolated people with disabilities, training health professionals to identify and respond to family violence or female genital cutting, and providing health information sessions for migrant and refugee communities.
Around $940 million has been allocated in the budget to invest in initiatives focused on improving outcomes for women, $600 million of which will be going directly to improving access and equity for women-specific healthcare.
Minister for women Gabrielle Williams said the pandemic had been particularly hard on women, which is why they are at the forefront of the 2022/23 state budget.
“Women’s employment was impacted disproportionately by the pandemic, women lost more jobs than men and took on extra hours of unpaid care as children transitioned to remote learning,” she said.
“The investment in this budget will build upon our government’s landmark investments to improve outcomes for all Victorian women.
“With this budget, we’re working towards a stronger, safer and fairer community for all Victorians.”
