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What is Women’s
Health
Women's Health NSW is an association of statewide women's health
centres and specialist women's centres.
All
centres are non-government, community based, feminist services
that provide choices for women to determine their individual health
needs.
Philosophy
Services
provided by Women's Health and Specialist Centres will be provided
within a feminist context which:
-
Recognises the social, environmental, economic, physical, emotional
and cultural factors which influence women's health.
-
Recognises
and challenges the effects of sex-role stereotyping and gender
discrimination on women's health and well being.
-
Reflects
the whole of a woman's lifespan, their various and changing
roles and responsibilities, not just their reproductive life.
-
Recognises
the importance of maintaining well-being by the focus on preventative
practices.
-
Actively
encourages the empowerment of women in both the personal and
social aspects of their lives.
-
Values
women's own knowledge and skills and their right to make informed
decisions about their health.
WHY
'WOMEN'S' HEALTH?
Many
factors - biological, social, cultural, environmental and economic
- influence women's health status, their need for health services
and their ability to access appropriate services. In particular
women's health needs stem from the fact that:
-
Women are more socially disadvantaged than men in terms of poverty,
education and power. Socially disadvantaged people are more
likely to become ill.
-
Women are more likely to use health services because of their
role as carers of children, older people, disabled people and
the extra strain this places on their health.
-
Women have particular sexual and reproductive health needs in
pregnancy, childbirth and menopause.
-
Due to gender inequality women are treated differently than
men both in society generally resulting for example in violence
against women and sexual assault and within the health system
where women complain that their health problems are not treated
seriously by health professionals or that they are inappropriately
prescribed tranquillisers.
Aims
WHNSW Centres aim to improve the health status of women by providing
a unique, holistic, woman-centred approach to primary health care.
The centres aim to blend medical and clinical services and a range
of counselling, health promotion, education, self-help and consumer
advocacy services. They also aim to provide women with the knowledge,
skills and resources to enable us to take more responsibility
over factors the adversely affect our health.
Centres
operate from a feminist perspective that links the causes of ill
health in women to social factors. This perspective is informed
by the World Health Organisation's definition of health as a complete
state of physical, mental and social well being, not merely the
absence of disease (1946).
Membership Criteria
WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP?
In
order for an organisation to become a full member of WHNSW the
organisation must be a body formed or incorporated within the
state of NSW and meet the following criteria:
-
It
is managed by a community based management committee of women
which provides a women's health service
-
It is a not for profit, non government organisation
-
The organisation adheres to the aims and objectives of Women's
Health NSW
-
It adheres to the Principles of Women's Health Care as defined
in the Manual of Standards for Women's Health Centres, March
1995 (NSW)
-
It is a feminist organisation as defined in the Manual of Standards
for Women's Health Centres March 1995 (NSW), Philosophy of Women's
Health Services
-
It is represented by a female person
WHAT
ARE THE CRITERIA FOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP?
To
be an associate member of WHNSW an organisation must be formed
or incorporated within the state of NSW and meet the following
criteria:
-
It is a not for profit, non government organisation that provides
a women's health service
-
It adheres to the aims and objectives of Women's Health NSW
-
It supports the Principles of Women's Health Care as outlined
above
-
Provides their women's health service within the feminist context
defined in the Manual of Standards for Women's Health Centres
March 1995 (NSW), page 1, Philosophy of Women's Health Services
-
It is represented by a female person
HOW
DO CENTRES JOIN WHNSW?
Centres
wishing to join must be nominated by a current member, in writing,
addressed to the Secretary of the Board and forwarded to Head
Office. For further information please contact the office.
WHAT
DOES IT COST TO JOIN?
A
full member on admission pays a training development fee as determined
by the board.
Associate
members on admission pay a fee which is determined by the board.
History
In
1973 around the time of International Women's Day, a forum was
held that covered significant issues for women. One of the recommendations
from the forum was the need to address the lack of appropriate
service provision for women in the mainstream health system. The
necessity to establish services for women became a priority. In
1974 the federal government granted funds and on International
Women's Day that year in Leichhardt (NSW), the first women's health
centre in Australia was opened.
In
1975 Centres were opened in Liverpool and Newcastle. New centres
were emerging throughout the state and in 1978 centres were running
in Wagga Wagga, Bankstown and Gosford. Not one of these centres
were funded, each delivered services according to their community
and were run by volunteers.
By
1981 it was decided to form an association to be known as Women's
Health and Information Resource and Crisis Centres Association
or WHIRCCA. The aim was to create ongoing networks and support
as well as advocate on behalf of other communities trying to establish
Women's Health Centres.
In
1985 the shared work of the association and the women in the communities
of Sydney's western and south western suburbs saw the opening
of centres in Blacktown, Penrith and Campbelltown as well as others
in rural areas.
The
change of name from WHIRCCA to Women's Health New South Wales
transpired on 1 January 2000. WHNSW as an association embarks
on many innovative projects which not only benefit each centre
and its clients but also radically influence mainstream health
practices. Women's Health NSW now represents 23 services throughout
NSW.
Board
WHNSW
BOARD STRUCTURE
For
the purposes of board membership, Women’s Health NSW members
are divided into four categories:
|
Rural |
Metro |
Outer
Metro |
Specialist |
| Albury |
Bankstown |
Blue
Mountains |
Dympna
House |
| Central
West |
Blacktown |
Central
Coast |
Immigrant
Womens' |
| Coffs
Harbour |
Cumberland |
Hunter |
Woman's
Centre |
| Lismore |
Leichhardt |
Illawarra |
NSW RCC |
| Shoalhaven |
Liverpool |
Penrith |
Waminda |
| Wagga |
|
WILMA |
Bessie
Smyth |
The
board of management is comprised of nine members, with the following
representation:
2
x Rural Centres
2 x Metro Centres
2 x Outer Metro Centres
1 x Specialist Centre
1 x Executive Officer WHNSW
1 x Other (can be from any category)
CURRENT
MEMBERS
|
Position |
Board
Member |
Current
Situation |
Eligible
Centre |
| Outer
Metropolitan |
Suzie
Van Opdorp
Blue
Mountains |
Re-Appointed
2007
Second term |
Blue
Mtns, Central Coast, Hunter, Illawarra, Penrith, WILMA |
| Outer
Metropolitan |
Vacant |
|
Blue
Mtns, Central Coast, Hunter, Illawarra, Penrith, WILMA |
| Metro
Representative |
Roxanne
McMurray
Leichhardt |
Re-Appointed
2007
Second term |
Bankstown,
Blacktown, Cumberland, Leichhardt, Liverpool |
| Metro
Representative |
Sue McClelland
Bankstown |
Appointed
2007
First term |
Bankstown,
Blacktown, Cumberland, Leichhardt, Liverpool |
| Rural
Representative |
Susan
Clarke-Lindfield
Central West |
Appointed
2008
First Term |
Albury,
Central West, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Shoalhaven, Wagga |
| Rural
Representative |
Belinda
McMahon
Wagga |
Appointed
2007
First term |
Albury,
Central West, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Shoalhaven, Wagga |
| Special
Purpose Centre |
Margherita
Basile
Sydney Womens Counselling Centre |
Appointed
2008
First Term |
Bessie
Smyth, Dympna, Immigrant Womens, Sydney Counselling, NSW Rape
Crisis Centre, Waminda |
| General
Representative |
Maggie
McNulty
Penrith |
Appointed
2006
First term |
Any member
may apply |
| Executive
Officer |
Denele
Crozier |
Appointed
2001 |
Constitutional
Appointment |
Contact
Us
WOMEN’S HEALTH NSW
PO Box 341, Leichhardt NSW 2040
Australia
Phone 9560 0866, Fax 9560 2887
E-mail info@whnsw.asn.au
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