By women, for women: The continuing appeal of women’s health centres

During the 1970s and '80s, several dozen women's health centres (WHCs) were established in Australia. Most of these centres are government-funded feminist community health facilities run by women, for women. With other women's health initiatives, WHCs are subject to financial and political pressure. This paper draws on data from a study of nearly 400 women clients of women's health and generalist community health centres to examine the continuing appeal of WHCs in the increasingly conservative political environment of the late 1990s. I explore such questions as: Does Australia still need WHCs? Do they offer anything that cannot be obtained elsewhere, and if so, what? This discussion focuses particularly on women's comments about the centre where they were interviewed and their views–both positive and negative-about WHCs more generally. The appeal of WHCs appears to be based on several qualities and resources: best-practice in certain clinical domains; sympathetic care for clients who find it difficult to obtain good care elsewhere; time for complex or distressing health problems; both general and specific health information; sociability and empowerment through participation in groups; and opportunities for active health development. In some cases, a woman private practitioner might supply an alternative to a WHC. Other valued elements are probably results of the fact that these are publicly funded community health agencies with salaried staff and similar qualities might be found in a mixed-sex community health facility. But only women's health centres combine the two, and embed them in a feminist philosophy and analysis of women's health and health care. In addition, WHCs' influence on the mainstream may benefit many more women than those who go to a centre. WHCs serve as models, innovate and collaborate with mainstream agencies, train service providers, and develop information and educational resources. These twin aims of supplying gender-specific services and enriching the mainstream continue to guide the work of WHCs.