In a frank and heart-warming speech, Ms Allan drew from her experience with endometriosis and how it impacted her and her husband’s plans for starting a family.
From having the right conversations with a trusted friend, Ms Allan found a pathway she described as “a bit of a journey” after her friend described her own similar experiences.
“Finally, she broached the subject of endometriosis, and the pieces suddenly fell into place,” Ms Allan said.
“And after surgery I went on to have two beautiful children.”
Ms Allan used the opportunity to address a new parliamentary inquiry into women and pain.
“Thanks to that conversation, I was put on the path towards a diagnosis and I had good doctors who listened to me and believed me,” she said.
“For too long, women’s health has been seen as something almost secret.
“Women, quite rightly, have had enough — enough of turning up to an emergency department in excruciating pain and getting sent home with [pain killers]; enough of a day on the couch, hot water bottle in hand; enough of being told our pain is all just in our heads.
“Women’s pain is real — and it must be believed and relieved because that pain is holding women back.”
Ms Allan commended the activism of CWA that went beyond “the baking and the making” and said the CWA had never “shied away” from difficult subjects with its long and proud history of advocacy and action to make life better for women and children.
“You’re women with warm hearts, strong shoulders, busy hands and, when necessary, loud voices,” she told the conference.
“CWA members know we don’t have to accept the way things are as the way they should always be. It goes to the heart of this year’s theme — Advocating for Change.”
CWA state president Jennifer Nola told Country News the conference — held on May 31 and June 1 — saw a larger and more productive engagement with the group’s membership, due largely to the event’s new format.
Feedback from attendees via a ‘comment wall’ was positive and the event ended with a standing ovation for Ms Nola.
“I wanted this to be different from normal CWA annual events and for members to have ownership,” she said.
“There was a huge opportunity for members to contribute; it was an event where people were spoken ‘to’ and not spoken ‘at’.
“We had such energy and activity in the room during the round-table discussions.
“We talked about being effective without spending our life just raising money, but asked ‘what can we do that is simple and effective in our communities?’
“And some of that was focused on homelessness.”
Secondbite CEO and guest speaker Daniel Moorfield spoke to the conference about food accessibility.
Mr Moorfield said research conducted by Foodbank found that one in three households currently has insufficient food.
“Two years ago it was one in five households but now it has grown to one in three,” he said.
“In another survey, 40 per cent of respondents regularly skip meals and we have seen this played out across the country.
“Foodbank has also shown that Australians don’t like to ask for help because they always think that someone else is worse off. Only 25 per cent ask for help.”
Mr Moorfield said a cultural change was needed to encourage people to not feel the stigma about asking for food.
“In China, the usual greeting is ‘Nǐ chīguòle ma?’ which translates to ‘have you eaten yet?’
“We need to break that stigma and greet people with ‘have you eaten yet?’.”
Ms Nola said five policy resolutions nominated for the AGM were all passed, with focus being given to the impact on children of artificial intelligence and online access and violence against women.
“Cyber security and protecting our children on the internet are topical issues right now and parents can be so frustrated with so many security issues,” Ms Nola said.
“Kids can stumble across anything online.
“We are glad the AI and child-access resolutions all passed with a very high majority.”
The two resolutions will now be taken to the Association of Country Women of the World South Pacific conference in Griffith, NSW, in September.
“If they go well there, then we will take them to the world conference to make them a global issue,” Ms Nola said.
The conference ended with a standing ovation for the organisers.
Submissions to the parliamentary inquiry can be made at: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/inquiry-into-womens-pain
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