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Women's Health West

Equity and justice for women in the west
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REtroSPECT: 21 years of women's health in the west of Melbourne



The story of Women’s Health West begins, with second-wave feminism, in the 1960s and 70s. As women gathered to share their experiences, and discovered how they were shaped by sexism, health was one of the first issues they discussed. After all, in pre-feminist Australia:

  • It was illegal for Family Planning to advertise their services
  • Women living in violence were told it was ‘just a domestic’
  • There were no health services for migrant or refugee women
  • Menopause was never discussed
  • Lesbianism was treated as unnatural
  • Sex education was considered obscene

    • Find out what happened next, (how a group of passionate women won a tender to start Victoria’s first regional women’s health service) and chart our progress from then to now.

    You can view REtroSPECT: 21 years of women's health in the west of Melbourne with the auto flip preview above, contact us on (03) 9689 9588 or e-mail the Information and Resources Worker veronica@whwest.org.au to request a FREE hard copy

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