08 September 2026
We’re proud to join thousands of people across the country to support Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week from 7 to 11 September 2026.
Women’s Health Week is Australia’s biggest campaign dedicated to the health and wellbeing of women, girls and gender-diverse people, and serves as a reminder each year that gender should have no influence on health and wellbeing outcomes.
This year’s theme
The theme is “Do it anyway“, which is about taking small steps on your own terms. Jean Hailes frames it as giving yourself permission to prioritise your health, whether that means seeking support, asking another question, taking time to rest, or doing what feels right, rather than pushing through pain or pressure.
Five days, five topics
Each day of the week focuses on a different area, with practical information, expert advice and women’s stories.
- To fuel: Practical nutrition tips and simple food habits
- To move: Reframing what it means to be active, countering the message that exercise must be intense or time-consuming to count
- To rest: Sleep, and the reasons it is hard to come by, including anxiety, perimenopause, pain, shift work and small children
- To breathe: Mental wellbeing across the life course
- To connect: Social connection and the small steps towards it
A useful prompt for opportunistic care
The week is a natural opening for the conversations that don’t usually generate a reminder letter. Cancer screening programs write to patients, but blood pressure, cholesterol, iron studies, thyroid function, bone health, contraception, perimenopause and mental health often do not.
If a patient is in front of you this week for something else, it may be worth asking what else they have been meaning to raise.
Additional resources
- Jean Hailes for Women’s Health: An organisation that provides information on women’s health topics.
- Jean Hailes for health professionals: Find information about health professional education and resources for your patients.
- Jean Hailes fact sheets: Fact sheets and resources available as downloadable PDFs.
- HealthPathways Melbourne: Women’s health pathway.
- Women’s Health Victoria: A state-wide woman’s health promotion, advocacy and support service.
- WIRE: Victoria-wide free generalist information, support and referral service for all women. Available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
- 1800 My Options: A free helpline for information about contraception, pregnancy option and sexual health in Victoria.
