Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) congratulates Premier Ben Carroll and the newly announced Victorian ministry, and welcomes the continued commitment to gender equality, women’s health and the prevention of family violence.
WHISE warmly welcomes the appointment of Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams as Minister for Women and Gender Equality.
“A ministry list tells you what a government values,” said WHISE CEO Kit McMahon.
“Keeping a dedicated portfolio for women and gender equality says clearly that this is not an optional extra. It is core business for Victoria, and it needs to stay that way. We congratulate Minister Williams and look forward to working with her.”
WHISE also welcomes Ingrid Stitt as Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services, and recognises her long record of advocating for quality services and for the people who find them hardest to reach.
“Access is not just about whether a service exists,” Ms McMahon said.
“It is about whether a woman can get there, afford it, and be believed when she arrives. Minister Stitt has consistently understood that distinction, and it matters enormously for women across our region.
“The appointment of Sonya Kilkenny as Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence is especially welcome in the south east, where she is a local member.
“We have worked with Minister Kilkenny directly, and we know she understands how family violence shows up in our communities.
“Not as an abstraction, but in the lives of women, children and families in the suburbs she represents. That local knowledge is an asset for the whole state.
“WHISE is particularly pleased that Minister Williams holds skills and training alongside women and gender equality.
“This is a genuinely significant combination, and one we have been arguing for,” Ms McMahon said.
“Women’s economic security is shaped long before women arrive at a workplace. It is shaped by how training is designed, who is expected to walk through the door, and which skills we decide are worth counting.
“Bringing an economic portfolio inside the gender equality portfolio is a real opportunity. It means one minister can see the whole pathway at once, and that is what it takes to shift occupational segregation rather than simply describe it. We have spent years working alongside TAFEs, industry and community on exactly this question, and we look forward to bringing that evidence to the Minister.
“WHISE also congratulates Tim Richardson, Paul Edbrooke and Nina Taylor on their appointments.
“Tim, Paul and Nina have all put in years of patient, committed work in their communities, and it shows,” Ms McMahon said.
“They understand how communities actually function, who holds them together, and what it takes to get things done at a local level. We also know from working alongside them that they are genuinely supportive of the goals of women’s health and gender equality. Having that understanding at the Cabinet table is good news for our region and for Victoria.”
WHISE looks forward to working with the new ministry across health, skills, gender equality and prevention, and to continuing the partnership work underway with almost 40 organisations and ten councils across Victoria’s Southern Metropolitan Region.
“Victoria has built something other jurisdictions look to, and none of it is finished,” Ms McMahon said.
“We congratulate every member of the new ministry and we are ready to get to work.”
