WHW STRATEGIC PLAN 2009-2012

Vision

Equity and justice for women in the west

Mission

We partner with others to change the conditions that cause and maintain women's oppression, to deliver family violence services and to undertake health promotion actions

Strategic Goals

This strategic plan is about developing a strategic thinking organisation so that we can ensure that our chosen priorities are based on current and future needs. These goals will be acted upon and kept alive in the governance and the operations of the organisation.

Delivering and advocating for accessible and culturally appropriate services and resources for women across the region

Women's Health West (WHW) will engage in actions such as advocacy, research, organisational capacity building, direct service delivery and community development to influence those factors that restrict women's access to resources and services.

Improving the conditions in which women live, work and play in the western region of Melbourne

We will undertake direct service provision and health promotion actions that recognise the important influence of, and aim to improve the social, economic and political factors that determine the health, safety and wellbeing of women and their children in the western region.

Putting women's health, safety and wellbeing on the political agenda to improve the status of women

Because gender is a critical factor in improving conditions for women, we will particularly focus on the structural factors that cause and maintain the conditions under which women and their children face discrimination, and undertake actions designed to change those factors.

Recognising that good health, safety and wellbeing begins in our workplace

We will identify all the components required to operate a service that is responsive to our vision and mission - valuing our workforce, ensuring financial sustainability and organisational accountability, understanding our limits, and developing and learning from experience - and use our resources intelligently and creatively to achieve our strategic goals

Working with others to achieve our goals

We value the skills, knowledge and expertise of individuals, organisations and communities in our region and aim to work in collaboration with them, sharing what we learn along the way and identifying where we each fit in achieving our ambitious goals

Values - Guiding Principles

We work within a feminist framework, respecting human rights
We act to support women to take control over their decisions and their lives
We recognise that the conditions in which people live, work and play are shaped by political, social and economic forces that we must understand and take action on to achieve better outcomes for health, safety and wellbeing
We value the diversity of our region and work to actively recognise and respect women's diverse strengths, experiences and goals
We value transparency and accountability in our operations, practices and relationships with others
We recognise that children's health, safety and wellbeing is intrinsically connected to that of women
We recognise the importance of being responsive to the changing needs of our community
We recognise and value the expertise of others and the vital importance of working together to achieve our goals

You can download a PDF of our 2009-2012 Strategic Plan (1.00 MB) or contact us to request a hard copy.