Victorian Healthcare Association Conference: Medical Misogyny & a Call to Action
At the Victorian Healthcare Association Conference, I was invited to speak as a lived experience panellist on medical misogyny in healthcare.
The discussion brought together leaders, clinicians and advocates to examine how gender bias continues to shape the experiences of women and gender-diverse people across Australia’s health system.
I spoke about one appointment with a surgeon where I was dismissed, gaslit and diminished. It was not the only experience. My encounters with gender bias and medical misogyny involved more than one healthcare professional — and not only surgeons or men.
Experiences like mine are not rare. They repeat across systems. And they carry consequences.
One of mine is that I have never had my final reconstruction surgery.
I was then given one minute to share the impact these experiences had on me and to deliver a Call to Action to the room.
I chose something practical. Something doable.
My Call to Action
Introduce mandatory professional development for all staff in patient-facing roles.
Training that helps healthcare professionals recognise medical misogyny and gender bias, and change the behaviours that prevent women from receiving care aligned with the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights.
The response in the room was immediate. Several healthcare leaders approached me afterwards asking for a copy of the Call to Action.
That tells me this conversation is ready to move from awareness to action.
The panel also featured Mackala and Natasha C., with the discussion led by Lisa Robins and Kym Arthur, Executive Director of Women’s Health at the Victorian Department of Health. The conversation was direct, challenging and necessary.
Thank you to the Victorian Healthcare Association for creating space for lived experience in conversations about reform.
If you are responsible for shaping patient care — whether in governance, leadership or frontline roles — this work is yours.
And I’m here to talk about it. Get in contact here.
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