Key achievements

Each year a range of projects are developed for inclusion in the Strategy and important successes achieved.

Key achievements from year four (2005 - 2006)

• Establishment of the Victorian Women with Disabilities Network Advocacy Information Service to support the development of leadership and advocacy skills amongst women with a disability.
• Young Parents and Family Violence Service System Intervention Project (YP&FV SSIP). Development of common assessment frameworks and enhanced referral pathways for pregnant and parenting young women at risk of or experiencing family violence and homelessness.
• "Metamorphosis" – Women’s Music Theatre Project. A large-scale regional music theatre project initiated by Colac Area Health that explored women’s lives through various life stages and the diverse range of issues and events that impact on their mental health and wellbeing. The issues included same sex attraction, teenage pregnancy, gender roles, relationships, death, family violence, drug and alcohol addiction, depression and social and geographical isolation.
• Development of a Positive Parenting CD-ROM in response to the need for specific parenting programs aimed at CALD women. The program is available to Maternal and Child Health nurses, and provides evidence based parenting resources for parents that help parents build relationships, teach their children new skills and promote the development of social skills. Translated into eight community languages.
• Improved quality of breast screening in rural and regional Victoria with more than 205,000 women screened in 2005-06.
• Funding though the Indigenous Family Violence Strategy for 27 community-based projects aimed at preventing, reducing and responding to family violence in Indigenous communities.
• Increased numbers of Indigenous women accessing antenatal care through the expansion of the Koori Maternity Services
• Completion of the Women’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2002-2006, and development of the Women’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2006 – 2010. Over 160 initiatives have been completed through the annual action plans of the 2002 – 2006 Strategy, resulting in each DHS division committing to a gender focus in the implementation of selected services and projects. In addition a series of roundtables and forums on women’s health have been held with service providers and departmental staff. More than 22 consultations have been held with key stakeholders in preparation for the 2006 – 2010 Strategy.

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Key achievements from year three (2004 - 2005)

• "Telling it like it is" - a young Aboriginal women’s sexual and reproductive health peer education project. The peer educators shared personal experiences about how pregnancy and parenting has affected their lives. The sessions also addressed the various aspects of teenage parenthood - including impacts on finances, relationships, education, employment, careers, housing and sexual health.
• The development of a training package addressing domestic violence issues and its impact for women with disabilities.
• Post Natal Depression initiatives at a metropolitan and regional level. Regional Committees have developed local plans to help identify local needs, train staff and support women to address these needs.
• The Victorian Health Information Surveillance System (VHISS) has an expanded list of public health indicators as suggested by the women’s sector that comprehensively document women’s health experiences
• "The Perils of Pokies" - a research project provided information for older women with gambling problems, and their families.

Key achievements from year two (2003 - 2004)

• Four health promotion projects are underway that will provide targeted information to educate women in drought affected areas. These projects are:
  • Women on Farm Gathering Seminars in the Grampians region
  • Mental Health First Aid Course in the Hume region
  • Our Community.Com in the Loddon Mallee region
  • Building Resilience in Gippsland
• An 'Active Women Whittlesea – Embracing Participation Forum' and a 'Holistic Health Day' have been held for older women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Needs analysis for indigenous and CALD communities has been completed that will form the basis for allocation of service enhancement funding.
• A Problem Gambling campaign targeting women was launched in July 2003 and will continue through 2004. Campaign mediums comprised of television, radio and press advertisements.
• A monograph that articulates the tensions in counselling and provides a framework for deriving counselling technique effectiveness parameters is underway. This monograph will review and summarise the state of current knowledge about the evidence base for counselling interventions.
• The Victorian Burden of Disease study has quantified, for the first time in the world, the significant health effects of violence against women.
• Eight briefings have been completed in regional areas as part of an initiative aimed at providing regional training for DHS staff and DHS funded service providers on gender frameworks and the social models of health.
• Joint professional training by Gamblers Help, WIRE and DVIRC for family violence workers and community health workers has been delivered.
• In the first 6 months of BreaCan's operation (Breast Cancer Consumer Information Centre), over 25 group information sessions with over 360 attendances was conducted. Issues covered include, nutrition, radiation therapy, mediation, support for women and their partners, self esteem, body image and fatigue.
• BreaCan has established a comprehensive library of information resources for women with breast cancer as well as establishing a fortnightly exercise program for women who have recently undergone breast surgery.
• A 60% participation rate for women aged 50-69 being screened for breast cancer has now been reached.
• A video titled 'Strong Bones' as well as fact sheets for placements on the Better Health Channel have been developed. These resources deal with the importance of diet, physical activity and sunshine as preventative measures against osteoporosis for carers of women with a disability.
• The profile of family violence and how it impacts on women with disabilities has been raised through public speaking and written material.
• An increase in the number of referrals for women and their children to the Molly's House Women's Refuge Disability Accessible Unit indicates an increased awareness by service providers of the availability of the unit.

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Key achievements from year one (2002 - 2003)

• Opening of a Breast Cancer Consumer Information Centre - BreaCan
• Improved housing outcomes for women post release from prison
• Health promotion sessions targeting culturally and linguistically diverse women in Tarrengower and Deer Park Prisons have recorded 265 contacts
• Establishment of a new DisabilityOnline website
• Completion of enhanced breast and cervical screening initiatives for women of diverse backgrounds, including the implementation of a mini-grants program run through PapScreen Victoria for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse women 60 years and over
• Employment of additional home-based support workers to assist mothers with a mental illness
• Project resources promoting positive body image have been developed
• Training sessions are being delivered to telephone support workers at WIRE regarding problem gambling identification and referral of women
• Recognition of the role and representation of women on Neighbourhood Renewal governance committees
• Development of the Assessment of Sexual Knowledge tool for measuring the needs of women with disabilities
• Development of an information sheet available at the Women's Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE) to assist in the identification of problem gambling issues
• Successful implementation of training to Maternal and Child Health nurses in response to family violence

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