Women's Strategy

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4. Health and wellbeing

The big issues

Queensland women are increasingly healthy and well and are living longer than men. The rates of breast and cervical cancer are decreasing, with fewer deaths from these diseases. Strategies to improve women’s health must be tailored to the stages of women’s lives and address their specific needs. Strategies must also recognise the impact of violence and trauma on women’s health.

The big health and wellbeing issues for Queensland women are:

• support for women in pregnancy, childbirth and infant feeding
• rates of smoking during pregnancy
• women’s mental health and wellbeing
• rates of women’s heart disease and cancer
• challenges faced by rural, regional and remote women accessing appropriate health services
• women’s participation in sport and physical activity, especially among women experiencing disadvantage.

Unfortunately, the advancements in health and wellbeing that many Queensland women enjoy are not experienced equally by all. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are generally in poorer health, and women living in disadvantaged areas are less likely to have the time and resources to do enough physical activity to obtain significant health benefits. 

Culturally and linguistically diverse women, including refugees, may have significant health requirements that require specialised care. Women experiencing disadvantage, including women with disability and women living in rural, regional and remote areas, may experience difficulty accessing health services, including sexual and reproductive health services, with a subsequent negative impact on their health outcomes.

Snapshot of what government is doing

• Delivering women’s health services through hospital and health services and a network of statewide non-government service providers.
• Implementing the Together in Mind Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Day Program to support women with perinatal mental health difficulties in the first year after birth.
• Implementing the Start Playing Stay Playing strategy to increase women’s participation in sport and physical activity.
• Implementing targeted initiatives to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse women’s health and wellbeing.
• Providing preventative health strategies that specifically address women’s health issues, including cancer screening and support for new mothers.
• Implementing child and family reforms to better support families with parenting their children, including universal access to Triple P Positive Parenting Program.
• Delivering the Female Facilities Program to assist sport and recreation organisations and local governments to develop functional and inclusive female change rooms and amenities.

Actions and initiatives

The Queensland Women's Strategy proposed a range of actions that would progress gender equality in Queensland.

Commitments made by the Queensland Government, community and private sector partners to deliver on these proposals are listed below each proposed action.