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| Australian Federation of Medical Women | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Federation of Medical Women |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Region served | Australia |
| Membership | Medical women |
Australian Federation of Medical Women is a national professional association for women physicians in Australia, established to promote the interests of female doctors and improve health outcomes for women and children. The Federation has engaged with national bodies, educational institutions, and international organizations to influence clinical practice, public health, and professional development. It has a history of advocacy, scholarship, and collaboration with medical colleges, universities, and global women's health movements.
The Federation was formed in the early 20th century amid contemporaneous developments such as the expansion of the Commonwealth of Australia public institutions, the careers of pioneering physicians like Elsie Dalyell and Margaret Barnes (note: example figures), and postwar reforms influenced by the League of Nations health discussions and the work of the Royal College of Physicians. Early activities reflected intersections with the Australian Red Cross Society, the Australian Medical Association, and state-based medical women's groups in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. Throughout the mid-20th century the Federation intersected with the policy agendas of the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories era, the growth of the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, the founding of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and the careers of medical feminists engaged with the International Council of Women and the Medical Women's International Association.
The Federation's structure parallels federated professional bodies with state branches and an executive elected at triennial conferences similar to governance models used by the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. Membership comprises physicians trained at institutions such as the University of Sydney, the University of Queensland, the University of Adelaide, and the Australian National University Medical School, and includes general practitioners, specialists certified by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, as well as academic clinicians affiliated with centres like the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The Federation liaises with regulatory bodies including the Medical Board of Australia and interacts with postgraduate training pathways overseen by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Programs have encompassed continuing professional development, public lectures, mentorship schemes and clinical workshops in collaboration with tertiary hospitals such as Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, The Alfred Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and children's hospitals including Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. The Federation has hosted symposia featuring researchers from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and public health scholars linked to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the National Health and Medical Research Council. It has supported clinical outreach and rural health initiatives paralleling programs by Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia and rural medical schools like the University of Newcastle Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Advocacy work has addressed maternal and child health, workforce equity, reproductive health, and gendered barriers in clinical careers, aligning at times with campaigns led by the Family Planning NSW, the Abortion Law Reform Association of Australia, and national inquiries such as those conducted by the Parliament of Australia. Policy submissions have been made to government inquiries into health workforce planning, women’s health strategies promoted by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, and specialty workforce reviews by bodies like the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. The Federation has engaged with international policy through the World Health Organization forums and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
The Federation administers awards and scholarships to support medical education, research, and career development for women clinicians, analogous to fellowships offered by the National Health and Medical Research Council and prizes administered through university faculties such as the University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine and Health. Grants have supported projects in partnership with institutions like the Ian Potter Foundation-funded initiatives, and travel bursaries aimed at enabling attendance at conferences run by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the World Congress of Public Health.
The Federation maintains affiliations with international bodies including the Medical Women's International Association and collaborates with national entities such as the Australian Medical Association, state medical women's societies, university departments at the University of Western Australia, and research institutes like the John Curtin School of Medical Research. Partnerships have included joint programs with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and community health organisations including Planned Parenthood Australia-related groups and state-based maternal and child health services.
Leadership and notable members have included clinicians and academics who also held positions in institutions such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the University of Adelaide Medical School, and were active in public life alongside figures associated with the Australian Senate, the House of Representatives (Australia), state health ministries, and national research councils. Several leaders have contributed to literature in journals like the Medical Journal of Australia, participated in panels convened by the National Health and Medical Research Council, and collaborated with scholars from the University of Sydney School of Public Health and the University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.
Category:Medical associations based in Australia Category:Women's organisations based in Australia