Media Release: 11 November 2025
Migrant and refugee women’s pain will no longer be ignored: our response to the Victorian State Government’s Inquiry into women’s pain report 2025
The Inquiry into Women’s Pain Report 2025, Bridging the Gender Pain Gap, confirms what migrant and refugee women have been telling the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH) in consultations for some years: that women’s pain is unacceptably widespread, and too often migrant and refugee women’s voices are not heard in important conversations about their health and wellbeing.
MCWH’s submission to the Victorian State Government’s Women’s Pain Inquiry, drew on data from over a dozen survey responses, 3 in depth interviews and over 3 years of qualitative data from participants in our health education programs and 4 years of qualitative research into migrant and refugee women's sexual health, mental health and experiences of violence. We found that migrant and refugee women face some of the highest barriers to pain care, yet their voices remain under-represented and under-analysed.
MCWH’s submission aligns with the landmark Bridging the Gender Pain Gap report released on Sunday, which found that migrant and refugee women are less likely than other women to seek help for their pain. Notably, only 57% of women who completed the survey in a language other than English sought help, compared with 95% of the general population.
The most common reasons reported for not seeking assistance were not understanding what services could provide support (63% of respondents), not knowing what services were available (52% of respondents), and the unaffordability of support (48% of respondents).
CEO of MCWH, Dr Adele Murdolo, said:
‘We are so grateful to the 13,000 respondents to the Inquiry, 14% of whom identified as culturally and linguistically diverse. We now know so much more about how women experience pain. We have been confirmed in our knowledge that migrant and refugee women are less likely to access health services, including for their pain, and as a result, have poorer health outcomes than the general Victorian population.’
MCWH notes that systemic barriers in Victoria’s health system over-impact migrant and refugee women.
“Migrant and refugee women are experiencing pain at alarming rates but face greater barriers to getting care. When women can’t get the help they need, the impacts are far-reaching; on their health, their work, and their communities,” said Dr Murdolo.
MCWH is calling for real inclusion and system change, and solutions that will make a difference to migrant and refugee women.
The Victorian Government’s response to the Inquiry report will make important inroads into addressing migrant and refugee women’s pain. The Women’s Pain Action Plan and the development of a women’s pain standard are significant actions that will support women and health practitioners to respond to women’s pain. MCWH is ready to contribute to the development of the action plan, and to work with migrant and refugee women to ensure that they have the in-language information they need to seek support for their pain, and that they are included in the government’s next steps.
“More than one million migrant and refugee women live in Victoria,” Dr Murdolo said.
“We stand ready to work with the Victorian government to ensure their pain is recognised, and that healthcare reforms deliver equity for all women.”
For all media inquiries:
Anne Johnston, Communications Manager, MCWH
annej@mcwh.com.au