This policy brief summarises the evidence for the impact of COVID-19 on women's mental health, and makes recommendations for government actions to better support women’s mental health during the COVID-19 response and recovery.
Emerging evidence suggests that COVID-19 is having significant impacts on women’s mental health, and that this is compounding existing mental health inequalities between women and men. COVID-19 has drawn attention to the need for fundamental reform of Australia's social support and mental health systems to ensure they effectively meet the needs of women and girls, and are resilient to respond to future emergencies, which – like COVID-19 – are likely to disproportionately impact women’s mental health.
This publication has been prepared by the Women’s Mental Health Alliance, established in 2019 in the context of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. The Alliance undertakes collective advocacy to ensure the mental health of women and girls is prioritised in the recommendations of the Royal Commission and in current and future mental health reforms.
Women's Mental Health Alliance (2020) Policy brief: women’s mental health in the context of COVID 19 and recommendations for action. Women's Health Victoria. Melbourne.
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Women’s Health Victoria acknowledges and pays our respects to the Traditional Owners of the land that our offices are situated on, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. As a statewide organisation, we also acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters across Victoria. We pay our respects to them, their cultures and their Elders past and present.
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Women’s Health Victoria’s focus is women (cis and trans inclusive) and gender diverse people. We address feminist health issues and are committed to supporting all people impacted by gender inequity who can benefit from our work. As a proud intersectional feminist organisation, Women’s Health Victoria is working towards meaningful inclusivity, guided by and supporting people who identify as women, trans, intersex and gender diverse.
