JOURNEY THROUGH: A CONFERENCE EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF NEWLY ARRIVED IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE WOMEN'S HEALTH

9.00AM to 5.00PM Wedenday May 29 and Thursday May 30, 2001 Royal Women's Hospital Grattan Street Carlton

The Conference will aim to discuss the impact of the migration and refugee experience in relation to all aspects of women's health.

In this context it aims to develop an understanding amongst participants of the issues and experiences that affect newly arrived immigrant and refugee women.

It aims to generate informed discussion that will provide the basis for key strategies to be used to address the current quality of health services.

Women and children often comprise the neglected and forgotten face of migration. Their journey as migrants and/or refugees, usually begins as a result of political, religious, or economic turmoil and often as a combination of these and other issues.

The experiences of war, torture and trauma, and the misery of refugee camps seriously affect these women's health and wellbeing. However these experiences are difficult to document. Women are often reluctant to speak about such horrendous crimes because of the pain of remembering, because of the fear of reprisal, because of many reasons.

With little or no family or community networks to support them, many newly arrived migrant women experience prolonged depression and isolation during settlement. Difficulties with language, accommodation, and employment often take precedence over their health and wellbeing.

This Conference will explore these crossroads. It will attempt to understand the journeys travelled and the experiences lived and it will open the discourse required so that effective strategies can be framed.

CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Dr Fran Bramwell - WESTERN REGION HEALTH CENTRE

Dana Kruse - AMENSTY INTERNATIONAL

Vicki Mitsos - ECC SHEPPATON/TAFE LANGUAGE SERVICES

Dr Rowena Ryan - DAREBIN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE

Dr Savitri Taylor - DEPARTMENT OF LAW AND LEGAL STUDIES LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

Maritza Thompson - PSYCHOLOGIST

WORKSHOPS FEATURE PARTICIPANTS FROM:

Asylum Seekers Assistance Scheme; Department of Rural Health, University of Melbourne; Foundation House; HREOC; Centre for Women's Health in Society, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre; Multicultural HIV/AIDS Service NSW; No One Is Illegal; Project Respect; Tracing and Refugee Services - Australian Red Cross; Women's Health East; Women's Health North; Women's Health West and WRANA.

Working Women's Health aims to ensure that working women, particularly those from non-English-speaking backgrounds, have access to the knowledge and information they require to control their health and wellbeing.

We specialise in the following women's issues: reproductive health sexuality and sexual health occupational health. Working Women's Health focuses on the interconnections between these health issues for working women.