Today is International Women’s Day (IWD), a day to celebrate the achievements of women across our healthcare service and the work they do to provide high-quality health outcomes for our patients.
Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Australians make up approximately 3.3% of the total Australian population.
This population faces several intersecting factors, including historical, social, cultural, and economic factors, which can enhance the disadvantage faced when accessing healthcare.
At Monash Health, we provide an intersectional lens in our approach to patient care and have dedicated services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
Our Women and Newborn Program provides culturally safe maternity care to Aboriginal women, babies and families during the course of pregnancy as well as post-natal care.
Yolande Grenfell, Aboriginal Midwife, for our Women and Newborn Program highlights the importance of delivering cultural, emotional and spiritual support to advocate for quality health outcomes for women in our care.
“Indigenous mothers and babies overall face poorer health outcomes than non-indigenous mothers.”
“There are often complex interactions between maternal health services, with social and cultural factors playing a significant role.”
“We create a safe space for women and encourage participation in pre-natal and post-natal care planning and appointments, provide culturally safe maternal and parental education and clinical support to deliver quality health care outcomes.”
To learn more about intersectionality and its impacts in a healthcare setting, we encourage you to join our IWD Masterclass and panel discussion at 2pm today. For details, visit our event list.