Many women and girls face real and enduring challenges when seeking care and support for pain. Medical gender bias and barriers in the healthcare system routinely lead to denial or dismissal of pain, misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses, and lack of pain relief and associated treatment for many women. 

The Inquiry into Women's Pain in Victoria gathered insights from over 13,000 women, girls, carers, healthcare professionals, peak bodies and researchers to unveil the experiences of girls and women with pain conditions and in accessing pain relief. 

This report captures these lived experiences and presents recommendations to government on how to improve healthcare services, ensuring women, girls and gender diverse people receive the care they deserve. The recommendations set a clear roadmap for reform and will guide system-wide improvements to bridge the gender pain gap and ensure women's pain is recognised, understood and addressed.

The Inquiry resulted in 27 recommendations across 7 key areas:

1. Women's health research
2. Policy strengthening
3. Training and professional development
4. Cultural change and public awareness
5. Models of care
6. Building our workforce
7. Affordable and accessible healthcare.