Australian women are being ignored, underfunded and dangerously misunderstood when it comes to their health, a new report by Monash University and commissioned by the Sisterhood Foundation finds.
The report found only 3.3 per cent of government research funding in 2023-24 was dedicated to women’s health, leaving many overlooked conditions critically underfunded and poorly understood.
The Women Deserve Better report captures the voices of more than 2,200 women, girls and experts working in women’s health and social care, policy and research across the country. The report uncovers the silent health conditions and social issues affecting women in Australia, including highlighting significant gaps in funding, access, affordability and education that continue to impact women’s health.
Key findings include:
- We need to go beyond the bikini line. Only 3.3 per cent of government research funding in 2023–2024 went to women’s health, and most of it was for reproductive or sexual health.
- The top areas of concern coming out of the research include violence, mental health conditions, endometriosis, homelessness, and chronic health conditions disproportionately affecting women (such as fibromyalgia) or differently affecting women (such as heart disease).
- Women and girls feel unheard when it comes to their health issues and want to be able to easily access gender-responsive, equitable and affordable healthcare.
Lead Researcher and Senior Research Fellow, Dr Sara Holton from Monash University’s Health and Social Care Unit, said the findings showed women’s health was still defined too narrowly.
“Women and girls want to be able to easily access gender-responsive, equitable, affordable healthcare, and take part in research and the design of programs for them,” Dr Holton said. “It shouldn’t be a postcode lottery. They also want acknowledgement of the different aspects of their lives, how different stages of their lives impact and influence their health, and greater awareness of and focus on the health conditions they experience.”
Katie McLeish, Executive Officer of the Sisterhood Foundation said, “Our purpose at the Sisterhood Foundation is to hear, acknowledge and address the unique health issues impacting Australian women and girls, especially those that are not well understood, discussed or funded.
“We commissioned this research to learn directly from women and girls about the challenges they face and what needs to change. Over 2,200 voices made it clear – too often concerns are dismissed or underfunded, particularly when it comes to conditions that only, differently or disproportionately affect women.”
One woman surveyed shared: “I was told it was all in my head. I now live with a chronic illness that could have been caught years earlier.”
In response to the findings the Sisterhood Foundation has pledged $1 million in funding over the next 12 months to new charity partners tackling the issues identified.
The Sisterhood Foundation’s purpose is to hear, acknowledge and address the unique health issues impacting Australian women and girls. It does this through supporting its portfolio of frontline charity partners to build capacity and enable them to create positive health and wellbeing outcomes in the lives of women and girls. Charity partners include Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, Smiling Mind, Her Heart, Share the Dignity, Fitted for Work, SisterWorks, Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) and Motherless Daughters.
To access the full report click here.
About the research
The Women Deserve Better report was commissioned by the Sisterhood Foundation and conducted by the Health and Social Care Unit in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. Fieldwork was undertaken in 2025, drawing on the voices of more than 2,200 women, girls, and health experts across Australia. Respondents were surveyed online and via interviews to capture lived experiences and priorities.
Sisterhood Foundation
Priceline Pharmacy launched the Priceline Sisterhood in 2011 after Sir Bob Geldof inspired its Franchise Partners and team members to give back to the communities in which they live and work. In 2014, it became a Foundation with a governing Board including independent and executive Directors and was recognised by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Since inception, the Sisterhood Foundation has raised more than $13.5 million, provided significant in-kind support and increased awareness for the 15 charities it has funded over 14 years.
Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university, with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation. With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities. As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
