To support the formation of a Women’s Health Research Institute, a Labor government successful at the November state election will allocate $5 million to help treat illnesses.
The state government said the new institute will help address the gender gap in medical research, where conditions specific to women don’t get enough funding and women aren’t meaningfully included in clinical trials.
“For too long, women have had to fight too hard to have their pain recognised and acknowledged and to be believed about their own experiences – it’s fundamentally wrong,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
Labor said it will also invest $64.8 million to double the number of surgeries for endometriosis and associated conditions.
Delays in diagnosis, treatment and surgery can lead to fertility complications and can lengthen women’s pain and the harmful effects on their health.
A further $3 million will be invested to establish an inquiry into women’s pain management, $4 million for research support services and $2 million to establish support groups and mental health programs for women tackling challenging health issues like endometriosis and chronic pain from periods or menopause.
