Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health is pleased to share our 2021/2022 State Budget Submission to the Victorian government, outlining the actions the Victorian government needs to take to achieve an equitable recovery from the pandemic for all Victorians, including over one million migrant and refugee women living in Victoria.
The 20/21 Victorian budget provided a much-needed boost toward an equitable social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic for all Victorians. However, achieving gender equality and wellbeing for all women, including migrant women, is a long-term prospect which requires sufficient and sustained investment. Investment must keep up with increases in the population of Victorian women.
Gendered inequality, and its intersections with other forms of inequality, remains a key barrier to the equitable social and economic participation of migrant and refugee women in Victoria, and to their optimum health and wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and accentuated these inequalities.
Our work breaks down access barriers by offering in-language outreach programs to migrant women about COVID-19 information, gender equality, women’s health and mental health. We deliver tailored migrant women’s leadership programs, and train service providers to build the capacity of workers to better respond to migrant women’s needs.
We are calling on the Victorian government to honour its commitment to equity for all Victorians and invest in the wellbeing of migrant women, who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
We invite everyone to share this document with your local representatives and share our vision for a heathier future for all Victorians.