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Many women and girls face real and enduring challenges when seeking care and support for pain.
Medical gender bias and barriers in the healthcare system routinely lead to denial or dismissal of pain, misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses, and lack of pain relief and associated treatment for many women. This occurs for various health conditions, including cardiovascular, neurological, reproductive, and autoimmune conditions.
To address this, as part of the Women's Health and Wellbeing Program, the Victorian Government introduced Australia's first-ever Inquiry into Women's Pain.
The Inquiry was led by Safer Care Victoria and the Inquiry into Women's Pain Subcommittee, together with the Victorian Women's Health Advisory Council and the Department of Health.
Through broad consultation, the Inquiry into Women's Pain gathered insights from over 13,000 women, girls, carers, healthcare professionals, peak bodies, and researchers to unveil the experiences of girls and women with pain conditions and in accessing pain relief.
The Inquiry involved 3 stages of consultation between January and October 2024:
- surveys for girls and women with lived and living experience of pain, their carers and healthcare professionals
- online written submissions from community and sector stakeholders
- focus groups with key stakeholders and community members.
What we heard
Women and girls told us about the wide-ranging impact of pain, and the barriers they face when trying to access care.
An astounding 90% of respondents reported experiencing pain lasting longer than a year, and 54% described living with pain every day.
Beyond the physical burden of pain, women told us about the widespread impacts of pain on their lives including impacts to mental health, employment, relationships, leisure activities and overall wellbeing.
Eighty-nine percent of survey respondents reported impacts of pain on their mental health. Fifty-nine percent of women said pain affected their recreation and hobbies, 52% their intimate relationships, and 44% their work, studies and volunteering.
Five key learnings from women's voices
From surveying thousands of women and girls and listening to their stories, the scope and impact of women's pain became abundantly clear:
1. Unmet healthcare needs
While most women seek medical care, many respondents stated their needs are not met. Experiences of dismissal, disrespect, and inadequate treatment are widespread, leading to distrust in the system.
2. Gaps in research and representation
Limited local and international research available on sex and gender disparities contributes to inconsistent and inequitable pain management, leaving many women and girls without appropriate care.
3. Gender bias in healthcare
Bias in pain perception leads to women's pain being underestimated and inadequately treated. Cultural norms, language barriers, and stereotypes about women's biology contribute to limited access and engagement with healthcare services.
4. Barriers across communities
Women living in regional and rural Victoria, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, LGBTIQA+ communities, and women with disabilities face greater challenges in accessing and navigating healthcare, often travelling long distances or experiencing systemic discrimination.
5. A call for change
Women want to be heard without bias or judgment, treated with empathy and respect, empowered to make informed decisions about their health, and access affordable, effective care easily.
The Inquiry into Women's Pain report
Insights gathered during the consultation have informed the Inquiry into Women's Pain report, Bridging the Gender Pain Gap.
The Inquiry resulted in 27 recommendations across 7 key areas:
- Women's health research
- Policy strengthening
- Training and professional development
- Cultural change and public awareness
- Models of care
- Building our workforce
- Affordable and accessible healthcare
The recommendations set a clear roadmap for reform and will guide system-wide improvements to bridge the gender pain gap and ensure women's pain is recognised, understood and addressed.
The Department of Health acknowledges every individual, family and group who participated in this Inquiry and shared their experiences to help drive lasting change.
Read the full report, Bridging the Gender Pain Gap:
Please read with care The Inquiry recognises the strength of women and girls who have shared their personal stories and perspectives. Some of these stories, and the Inquiry's analysis, contain information that could be distressing. You might want to consider how and when you read this report. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this report may contain photos, quotations and/or names of people who are deceased. If you are upset by any content in this report, or if you or a loved one need support, there are services are available.
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See supporting documents:
A note on language
Language is an effective tool for changing community attitudes and promoting inclusion. We recognise that words are powerful and can have different meanings for different people.
Any references to a woman, women or girls are intended to include anyone who may experience similar health issues or gender-based discrepancies in care. This includes those assigned female at birth and anyone who identifies as a woman, though they may have a different sex at birth.
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If you are unable to read any of the content of this page, you can contact pph.communications@health.vic.gov.au for an accessible version.
Reviewed 08 November 2025