The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre was founded in 1986 by a collective of women, but the fight started more than a decade earlier. Photo: Illawarra Women’s Health Centre.
In 1975, a collective of Illawarra women began a battle for a community health centre for the region’s females.
Archival records reveal a demand for a radical shift from a rigid medical model to a social model of health; one that recognised how the social factors of housing, income, race and disability were inextricably linked to a woman’s wellbeing and often compounded by staggering rates of domestic and family violence.
It took 11 years of advocacy, but in 1986, the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre opened its doors.
Yet the battle endures, because the goal was never simply to erect a building; it was to dismantle patriarchal medical systems that had long ignored women’s pain.
“Historically and still today, often women’s medicine is based on patriarchal structures, which is why we still see medical misogyny,” Illawarra Women’s Health Centre general manager Jess Davidson said.
“We see it play out even when we look at how the amount of funding for medical research is often skewed more towards men’s health issues than women’s. There have been improvements over the past decade, but endometriosis, for example, still takes on average seven years to diagnose.
“Women’s experience of pain is not validated or investigated the way it should be and that really impacts their ability to live with full participation.”
Today, the centre stands as a trusted community organisation, with a passionate body of volunteers, supporters, staff and leaders delivering a range of specialist programs supporting women’s health, safety and wellbeing.
For four decades, the centre has served as a powerhouse for local women, bridging the gap between life-saving frontline care and systemic change.
By moving beyond the clinic and into the halls of policy-making, the organisation ensures that the lived experiences of local women actually shape the laws that govern them.
Jess Davidson says the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre still has work to do to ensure women have a strong service and strong voice. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
“For 40 years, the centre has been a place where women can seek support, share their experiences and know their voices matter,” Jess says.
“We have stood alongside women through some of the most significant social issues affecting our community, from reproductive rights to domestic and family violence.”
While the organisation has witnessed (and contributed to) progress, the team is already looking to the next 40 years and beyond.
“The work is far from over,” Jess says.
“This anniversary is also a chance to look ahead and ensure women in the Illawarra continue to have strong services and a strong voice.”
The centre will celebrate this milestone at a grand gala dinner in July. The evening will bring together community members, partners, supporters and past leaders in a night of splendour, with all proceeds going directly toward supporting the centre’s frontline services and community programs.
The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre 40 Years Celebration Gala Dinner will be held on Saturday 18 July at the Novotel North Wollongong. Tickets are $160 per person or $1450 for a table of 10 — book via Humanitix.
