multicultural

centre for
women’s
health

2005
annual

illustrations: pamela brañas

report
2006
thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks
Absolutely Women’s Health
Royal Women’s Hospital,
ADEC Chinese Mental Health
Support Group Mt. Waverley,
ADEC Chinese Mental Health
Support Group Preston,
ADEC Greek Carers’ Group,
Adult Migrant Education
Service Footscray,
Adult Migrant
Education Services,
African-Australian
Welfare Council,
African Holistic
Settlement Services,
African Think Tank,
Amuna Abdella,
Andrew Brown-May,
‘ANT News’
Arabic Speaking
page two
Women Coburg, Can’t-Tear’Em Workwear, University of Melbourne, EMC,
Arcilesbica, Cate Elkner, Daniel Witthaus, Eritrean Community
Arty Richetti, CEH, Daniela Community Centre in Australia,
Australian Gay and Lesbian Centre for African-Australian Roxburgh Park, Eritrean Women’s Group,
Multicultural Council, Women’s Issues, Department of Health Ethiopian Women’s Group,
Australian Lebanese Childbirth Education and Ageing, Family Court of Australia,
Welfare Council, Royal Women’s Hospital, Department of Family Planning Victoria,
Australian Vietnamese Chinese Carers’ Group Human Services, FARREP,
Welfare Association, St. Albans, Department of Justice, Gary Schickerling,
Barwon South West Chinese Community Des Shead, Garry Patterson,
Regional Women’s Health Social Service, Devva Kasnitz, Gippsland International
Resource Services, Chinese Health Foundation, Diana Orlando, Women’s Group Morwell,
Beachcomber Fashions, Chinese Parents’ Support DIMA, Gippsland Multicultural
Bernice Murphy, Group Flemington, Distillery Press, Service,
Betul Kinali, Cinzia Ambrosio, Doutta Galla Community Gippsland Women’s
Botswana Women’s Group, Cititec Systems Pty Ltd, Health Service, Health Service,
Brendon O’Flaherty, Cobram Italian Eastern and Central African Good Life Club,
Calabrese Women Women’s Group, Communities in Victoria, Graeme West,
Nel Mondo, Congolese Women’s Group, ECCV, Gruppo Italiano di
Cancer Council Victoria, Cultural Heritage Unit Ellen Kleimaker, Pensionati di Brunswick,
 chairperson’s
report
This has been a year of significant
and positive change for MCWH. We
fondly farewelled Mariastella
Pulvirenti who was ably acting as ED
in Adele’s absence and warmly
welcomed Adele back (along with our
newest and youngest MCWH
member, Alex).
During 2005, the Board initiated the
development of a Business Plan to
address the funding limitations
impacting on our capacity to meet the
needs of immigrant women around
the state. The Business Plan made a
number of recommendations,
including that we reduce our rental
expenses. In response, we started
work on co-locating and relocating.
We were fortunate to find the perfect
co-tenants Immigrant Women’s
Domestic Violence Service, and the
perfect location; by June 2006, we
had designed and built ourselves a
new office. MCWH staff have settled
in now and are very pleased to return
to their health promotion work in a
custom-made and accessible
environment.
Equally significantly, we changed our
name to Multicultural Centre for
Women’s Health. Our name change
does not at all signal a change in
direction—we continue to visit women
in their workplaces and collect and
disseminate knowledge about
immigrant working women’s health.
Our organisation started building this
expertise in 1978, with the
establishment of the Factory Visiting
Program, and our commitment to
immigrant working women remains
as focused and strong, as needed
and unique, as it was 28 years ago.
Our name change will express more
clearly the work that we do with all
immigrant women—those who do
paid work as well as women who are
working for no pay. Immigrant
women in unpaid jobs need OHS
education and information. Similarly,
they are often so busy with their
work, that they find it difficult to
access multilingual information about
sexual and reproductive health and
mental health, to enable them to take
control of their own health and
wellbeing.
Our year of change has launched
MCWH into the next ten years of
providing an appropriate and
accessible service to all immigrant
women. We look back to our
beginnings as well as to our future,
responding to the needs of women
from newly-emerging communities,
and changing workplace
environments.
Sandra Lordanic
mcwh chair
executive
director’s
report
It was great to return from maternity
leave and find everything purring
along—many thanks to Mariastella,
our Board and staff team. Despite
significant change, our programs
continued offering multilingual
information, education, training, and
conference presentations around
Australia. I’m pleased to report our
contacts totalled 2,856.
Our Bilingual Health Educators
conducted a total of 114 health
education sessions in 12 languages
on topics including reproductive and
sexual health, mental health, and
occupational health and safety.
Sessions were run in various settings
including Thai radio (4), in the
workplace (68 sessions and 457
contacts) and in community settings
(42 sessions and 905 contacts).
Workplace sessions were held in the
TCF, food manufacturing, and ethno-
specific aged care industries. Project
work resulted in a further 261
contacts on topics such as workplace
violence and safe use of medicines.
Through FARREP we worked with 145
women from communities affected by
FGM, providing sessions on
reproductive and sexual health, and
multilingual health information.
The Multilingual Library and Resource
Collections responded to 286
information requests in 22
languages, many spoken by newly-
arrived communities, as health
organisations tried to meet the
changing needs of their communities.
Most requests focused on mental
health; sexual and reproductive
health was a close second.
This year, Professional Training
concentrated on training bilingual
workers Victoria-wide, focusing on
capacity building for these workers
and the agencies that employ them
to work appropriately with immigrant
and refugee communities on the
sensitive topics of alcohol and drug
use, and mental health promotion.
In total 26 bilingual workers were
trained. We will maintain contact with
these workers and provide them
ongoing resources and support.
Finally, we continued to work on
developing MCWH’s Quality
Standards for Bilingual Health
Education. These Standards will
inform our own programs and
projects, and will be shared with
other agencies and workers. This
exciting work will culminate in a
national conference on bilingual
health education in 2007. Hope to
see you there!
Dr Adele Murdolo
executive director
page three
 MCWH is recognised
nationally as a first port
of call for expertise and
innovative service
delivery with immigrant
working women by
immigrant working women.

MCWH gathers together and

imparts expertise on
immigrant women’s health issues
with a specific focus on
sexual, reproductive,
occupational, and mental health,
in collaboration with
key stakeholders.

MCWH contributes to
policy and organisational
development on
state and national levels,
resulting in positive change for
immigrant women’s health.

MCWH collaborates and networks with

partner agencies on a range of key health
promotion activities.

uniquely
recognised
position
page four
collaborations +
partnerships
Thirty-Year Anniversary of the
Galbally Report Partnership between
MCWH, IWDVS, Immigration
Museum, and Cultural Heritage Unit,
University of Melbourne to document
history of migrant women’s activism
in the thirty years since the Galbally
Report. MCWH Thirty-Year History
Partnership with Devva Kasnitz,
University of California, Berkeley
and Lenore Manderson, Monash
University, to document thirty-year
history of MCWH. Cervical
Screening Project Continuation of
running 66 health sessions on cervical
screening in various workplaces for
PapScreen Victoria. Quality Use of
Medicine Continuation of project with
National Prescribing Service to provide
information to immigrant women in
rural areas on the quality use of
prescribed medication. Workplace
Violence Research project with
ongoing partners Victorian Trades Hall
Council to study the frequency and
type of violence in the workplace as
experienced by immigrant women
over the last five years.
FARREP: Health Sessions for
African Women Collaboration
between MCWH FARREP Community
Worker and North Yarra and Doutta
Galla Community Health FARREP
Community Workers to provide
sessions on reproductive health and
other issues as raised by African
women. Cervical Screening
Information Sessions for African
Women Collaboration between
MCWH FARREP Community Worker
and Cancer Council Victoria Workers
to provide sessions on cervical cancer
to African women. Statewide
FARREP Coordinator and National
FGM Coordinators Ongoing
collaboration to plan, develop and
implement national strategies to meet
the needs of targeted communities.
Statewide FARREP Coordinator
and African-Australian Welfare
Council Ongoing consultative
collaboration with target communities
identifying needs and providing
appropriate training. Statewide
FARREP Coordinator and
Melbourne Metropolitan Fire
Brigade Collaborative network
providing training to African women
bilingual workers, on fire safety and
working as bilingual educators.
Statewide FARREP Coordinator
and the Family Court of Australia
Ongoing consultative collaboration
identifying gaps in the legal system
relating to family law and providing
training to community leaders from
African background to work as
bilingual educators.
community
consultations
Evaluation of the Quality Use of
Medicine Project Telephone interview
with the Canberra-based project
consultant to provide feedback to the
National Prescribing Service (funding
body), regarding ‘Quality Use of
Medicine Project’. Consultation with
Cultural Partners Australia Interview
with Cultural Partners Australia
regarding their research into
immigrant women’s access to services.
FARREP: Family Court of Australia
Horn of Africa Young Mothers
Consultations Consultation
regarding issues of concern for Horn
of Africa Young Mothers including
family violence, rape in marriage and
children’s rights. Centrelink
National African Liaison Unit
Forum Community consultation with
African Centrelink workers regarding
African women’s experience of
Centrelink and their needs. We Are
All One Multicultural Women’s
Health Seminar Panel discussion
organised by Mercy Hospital for
Women about the difficulties women
with FGM face in Australia.
Statewide FARREP Coordinator
Consultations with African
Community Groups Ongoing
consultations to provide information
and receive feedback relating to
family, sexual and reproductive health
and other issues.
Consultations conducted with:
African Think Tank, United Somali
Women’s Organisations, Sudanese
Women’s Group, Sierra Leone
Community Association, Horn of
Africa Women’s Group, Eritrean
Community in Australia, Ethiopian
Women’s Group, and Sudanese
Women in the West.
networking with
government
The Multicultural Centre for
Women’s Health works together
with government to improve policy
outcomes in favour of immigrant and
working women’s health. We do this
by preparing submissions to
government, providing consultation,
and participating in conferences,
steering committees, and forums.
STEERING COMMITTEES
DHS Ministerial Advisory Council on
Cultural and Linguistic Diversity.
OWP Statewide Steering Committee
to Reduce Violence Against Women
in the Workplace
FARREP: Ongoing consultation and
participation with DIMA, DHS and
Department of Justice. Submission to
Victorian Law Reform Commission
relating to domestic violence issues
for African women.
page five
presentations +
papers
‘Health Education as a Factor for
Taking Control: What Control?’,
Is Prison Obsolete Conference,
Sisters Inside, Melbourne, July 2005.
‘The Value of Providing Health
Information Through the Bilingual,
Bicultural Model’, Professional
Women’s Breakfast Forum,
Melbourne, October 2005.
‘Understanding the Power of
Bicultural and Bilingual Health
Promotion Through Two Case Studies:
Unplanned Pregnancy and Problem
Gambling’, Diversity in Health
Conference 2005, Melbourne,
October 2005.
‘Immigrant Women, Work and
Health’, Key Centre for Women’s
Health Postgraduate Seminar,
Priorities in Women’s Health,
Melbourne, May 2005.
FARREP: ‘Female Genital Mutilation’,
Female Genital Mutilation Human
Rights: Community and Health
Response Conference, Family
Planning Queensland, Brisbane,
November 2005.
‘Community Experience and Health
Care’, We Are All One Multicultural
Women’s Health Seminar, Mercy
Hospital for Women, Melbourne,
March 2006.
page six
‘Health Issues Facing African Women’,
Diversity and Health Conference,
Multicultural Foundation Australia,
Melbourne, September 2005.
‘FGM Program in Victoria: FARREP’,
National FGM Conference, Family
Planning Queensland, Brisbane,
November 2005.
‘Diversity and Human Rights’, Diversity one for an organisation looking
and Human Rights Conference,
RMIT, Melbourne, July 2005.
steering groups
+ committees is to change and to move forward.
Pre & Post Release Network Women’s
Health in the North Gambling Project
TRANX/PADA Post Natal Depression
Steering Committee Islamic Women’s
Welfare Council of Victoria: Islam
Opposes Violence Against Women
Project Advisory Committee Islamic
Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria:
Community Education Program on
the Australian Legal System for
Muslim Women Project Advisory
Committee Steering Committee for
Australian Research Centre for Sex,
Health and Society Research Project
on Hard to Reach Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex
Communities FARREP: Senior Horn
of Africa Elderly Group African-
Australian Welfare Council Steering
Committee Multicultural Health and
Support Services (HIV, Hep C, STIs)
Richmond CHS Advisory Committee
University of Melbourne and Royal
Melbourne Hospital Committee
regarding HIV/AIDS in African and
Arabic-speaking communities in
Victoria FARREP Network
publications +
promotions
The year 2005-2006 was a significant
toward its 30th anniversary in 2008.
Like many organisations with a
considerable history we know that the
best way to take stock and to celebrate
Change was a word much focused on
at MCWH this year. As Publications
and Promotions Coordinator, this
means new work and more
importantly, new opportunities.
Aside from moving offices, we have
revamped our logo, our official
colours (our warm orange is now
matched to a striking violet), and most
significantly our name, now
Multicultural Centre for Women’s
Health. I spent considerable time in
my role contributing to these changes.
The colours you use, your brand, and
your name say a lot about you. We
now have an identity which better
represents the considerable scope and
depth of our work with immigrant and
refugee women. Hopefully this work
respects our past and looks toward
our future; personally I hope it assists
more immigrant women connect with
us and like-minded services and
organisations to do the same.
At it’s core the work of MCWH is
what matters and developing our
identity helps communicate this, our
work, and the work of our Bilingual
Health Educators. All of which is
obviously worth promoting as
strongly as possible.
In tangible terms all this meant
working on new promotional
materials: we now have a new
banner, business cards, stationery,
and a new general brochure. This
alongside other work which
included producing another annual
report and newsletter. There is more
promotional material to come: our
Library Kit will soon be available;
promotional cards for our Bilingual
Health Educators and work on our
Web Page amongst other pending
projects and ideas.
Our graphic designer, whose images
you’ll find in this annual report is
moving on: thank you Pamela
Brañas for shaping us visually for so
long. Also many thanks to Cristina
Moore our previous Office Manager
whose efficiency is matched by her
personable nature. And many many
thanks to the women I continue to
work with at MCWH.
Anna Volpe
publications and
promotions coordinator
 MCWH builds the
capacity of immigrant women
for self-advocacy and
to effect social change.

MCWH continues to develop

its learning culture,
fostering active
participation of
immigrant women in
the health system
through membership,
decision-making
and activism.

a
learning
organisation
page seven
professional
training
More than any other previous year,
2005-2006 has proven the most
diverse and exciting to date. Looking
back it’s been a year of so many
different activities it seems two years
have passed by instead of one.
After finalising the ‘Healthy Women,
Healthy Communities Gambling
Project’, I packed my luggage and
took off on a long-planned trip to
Europe and my beloved Sarajevo City
to visit my parents, family and friends.
It was one of the most beautiful and
rewarding holidays I had had in a
long time, one which I think I had
thoroughly earned!
The day after my return, I gave a
paper at the Diversity in Health 2005
Conference, which was well received.
From that moment various projects
and activities started rolling up and
very soon my holiday was a distant
memory...
One of these projects was an
intensive three-day training workshop
with African bilingual workers from
Western Health Service. Mental
health, community education and
promotion and the strengthening of
the family unit are core areas of focus
page eight
for these workers. Assessment of the
training reflected that the experience
was both rewarding and fulfilling.
The flow-on effect of this training is
that African community members
stand to benefit from the skills and
resources participants now have at
their disposal. This supports self-
empowerment and informed choices
being made by community members
and their families.
We continued our collaboration with
long-standing partners Turning Point;
together we trained Northern and
Western Region bilingual community
workers about drug and alcohol
issues. Victoria University biomedical
students were again challenged to
think about and discuss various issues
including the impact of immigration,
work, discrimination, and access
to resources on women’s health
and wellbeing. NMIT students
preparing to take part in various
services as bilingual community
workers also participated in our
sessions this year. It is encouraging
to see that bilingual education is
gaining further acceptance every year,
and as a result, is being further
utilised by numerous services and
educational institutions.
In March I addressed the Gippsland
International Women’s Group in
Morwell on the occasion of
International Women’s Day. It was
amazing to see the enthusiasm and
the strength these women have for
years exchanged—helping and
supporting each other regardless of
race, religion or ethnic background.
In such a nurturing environment even
language ceases to be a barrier.
Our Training Program resources and
supports other professionals and
services in the same way.
As with every other year, training our
Bilingual Health Educators was a
priority. This ongoing process
strengthens and improves their skills
and knowledge regarding women’s
health and wellbeing. Evaluation and
planning conducted earlier in the year
informed this process in many ways,
indicating areas of focus for skills
development. As a result Educators
have been updated with new
information and findings in sexual
and reproductive health. Two full
days training were conducted and
facilitated by very experienced
educators from Family Planning
Victoria. Health Educators gained new
knowledge relating to nutrition, sexual
identity and sexuality, and how to
deal with grief and loss. I also
worked on my own professional
development this year, attending a
host of conferences, seminars and
workshops including: ‘Creating
Better Service for Same-Sex
Attracted Young People’,
‘Multicultural Women’s Health
Seminar’, and ‘Good Practice
Principles to Work with Young
Refugee People’.
And last but not least I can’t miss
the opportunity to mention two of
the major tasks that engaged us all
year that is the move to
Collingwood and organising the
Special General Meeting which gave
us our new name. This year can be
compared to childbirth—it was hard,
painful, stressful and exhausting yet,
with the first loud cry we felt so
happy, proud and exceptionally
rewarded!
Amira Rahmanovic
training programs
coordinator
multilingual
resources
As Multilingual Library Coordinator,
2005-2006 has proved to be a very
rewarding year.
Firstly being part of making the
decision to change to the Multicultural
Centre for Women’s Health was such
a great experience. Listening to the
opinions of so many members at the
Special General Meeting was
wonderful because it showed how
much the organisation means to so
many women.
I was determined to complete two
things this year: the redevelopment of
the Resource Room, and the
completion of the Multilingual Library
Kit. MCWH now has a resource area
that holds over 10,900 resources in
over 80 languages. These are
organised according to language and
health topic, clearly labelled and
accessible. It was a five-month
process which whilst challenging
proved very successful.
The Multilingual Library Kit has been
completed and is currently being
updated with MCWH’s new contact
details.
Thanks to Anna (Publications and
Promotions Coordinator), in addition
to the multilingual library information,
we have now also developed a
Multilingual Topics List.
This list details the specific health
information available in particular
languages in our Resource Collection.
The purpose of the List is to provide
service users with more information
about the kind of women’s health
information we have and in which
language(s) it is available. This List
will also be posted on our Web Page.
My work on the Multilingual Library
Collection definitely continued this
year with new books in Italian, Greek,
Chinese and Arabic.
Our Bilingual Health Educators were the Bilingual Health Educators and
very excited about the new books as gave me the time to work on the
they were able to use them in their Resource Room redevelopment.
health sessions, especially where a
lack of information in other formats It has been an amazing year!
was an issue (for example lack of
relevant pamphlets or booklets). Carmela Ieracitano
The Chinese books on better sleep multilingual library
and relaxation techniques were coordinator
especially appreciated.
Remember one of the benefits of
MCWH Membership is borrowing
rights to the Library Collection.
Last year’s special projects on
problem gambling, safer use of
medicines, cervical health, and
asthma continue to generate
requests for information, which is of
course part of their ongoing
value. This is matched by our
commitment to providing
information and responding to such
requests Australia-wide.
Finally I would like to end with a
special thank you to Cristina who so
diligently assisted me in resourcing
page nine
 MCWH identifies
and meets
emerging and dynamic
health needs of
immigrant women
living in metropolitan
and rural areas.

We continue to ask
immigrant women
what they want,
and deliver it through
our outreach model,
in industry, community, and
other relevant settings.

MCWH works in
partnership with
agencies around Australia
to ensure that
immigrant women have
access to
high quality,
culturally appropriate
health services.

effective
service
delivery
page ten
industry +
community
programs
The 2005-2006 financial year has
been a difficult one. The move to our
(wonderful) new premises resulted in
a bigger disruption than expected
(this will come as no surprise to
anyone who has ever had to move
home or office).
Even with the positive but challenging
change of relocating, our work
reaching immigrant women through
our programs remains a constant.
This constant of providing immigrant
women with access to health
information and education in their
own languages, facilitated by women
from their own cultures, comes up
against some challenges of its own.
The trend of ‘downsizing’ or the
moving of manufacturing offshore
was evident in the general reception
we got when making contact with
workplaces this year, and clearly
represents such a challenge. As one
manufacturer put it: ‘We’re about the
only ones left here’, (still knitting their
garments in Australia). Human
resource managers and occupational
health and safety officers are so busy
dealing with the fall out from
downsizing and the effects this has on
workers that they don’t have time to
think about anything else. In fact, two
of the factories who had previously
shown interest in health sessions
decided to postpone them for the time
being.
Another trend which emerged this
year from the effects of retrenchment,
were the requests for sessions on
stress management to help women
deal with the reality of finding
themselves without a job and the
prospect of long-term unemployment.
(Anecdotal evidence shows that it
takes women longer than men to
obtain new employment after being
made redundant.)
However where we did conduct
health sessions, our program was met
with enthusiasm both from
management and from the women
who took part. The management at
Kenman Kandy agreed to give the
women extra time to attend sessions,
and these women were so keen to
take advantage of this opportunity,
that they added an extra half hour of
their own time so that the sessions
could run longer than originally
planned. I would like to thank the
staff and the women at Kenman
Kandy for their welcome and the
Health Educators for the wonderful
job they did, particularly with the
session on grief and loss. The
feedback on this session in particular
highlighted the skills, professionalism
and teamwork practised by our
Health Educators.
We also conducted a number of
sessions on the topic of cervical
We also maintained our contacts in
rural areas and have conducted
cancer for auxiliary staff in a number health sessions in Ballarat, Bendigo,
of nursing homes including San Shepparton, Cobram and Morwell.
Carlos and St Francis. Sessions on Sessions were conducted on various
cervical cancer were also conducted topics of women’s health and on the
in factories including Kenman Kandy, quality use of medicine.
Beachcomber Fashions, and Melba
Industries. Further MCWH expertise on issues
for immigrant women was sought by
both students and researchers
Our Community Workshops continue
interested in how much immigrant
to be in demand and health sessions
women use health services and the
were conducted in the Greek,
accessibility of health information
Vietnamese, Croatian, Arabic, Turkish,
and services for these women.
Macedonian, Italian, and Chinese
speaking communities. Judging from
I would like to thank all the Health
requests for health sessions and
Educators for their wonderful work,
through our networks it is evident that
their passion and their patience.
we will need to recruit new health
I would also like to thank those
educators to ensure we are able to
Health Educators who have left us
provide health information to and wish them all the best in their
emerging communities as well as to new endeavours. I look forward to
replace some languages that we can a more settled and productive year.
no longer provide as Health
Educators leave MCWH to take up Angela Nesci
new positions. health education
programs coordinator
Immigrant women from Thailand are
not often represented in the
manufacturing industry nor are they
often found in a community setting. In
an effort to reach this community
group our Thai Health Educator has
had regular spots on the Thai
Program on SBS Radio as well as
regular features in the Thai
newspaper ‘ANT News’.
page eleven
project
work
ASTHMA EDUCATION
Ethnic radio is a very effective tool for
disseminating health information to
immigrant populations. It is also an
effective means of making these
groups aware of the services that are
available to them.
During 2005-2006 MCWH undertook
a project which provided education
about asthma to community groups.
Some of these sessions were delivered
via community and SBS Radio.
As a result of hearing our Bilingual
Health Educators on the airwaves,
women became more aware of
MCWH and our services, and
contacted us for information relating
to asthma and other health topics.
CERVICAL SCREENING
Workplace sessions on cervical
screening continued this year.
Kenman Kandy, Melba Industries,
Beachcomber Fashion, and San Carlo,
St Francis, and Villa Del Sole Nursing
Homes were all visited by our Health
Educators who ran sessions on this
topic in Vietnamese, Italian, Greek,
and English.
page twelve
It emerged from these sessions that
many women had had bad
experiences with regards to cervical
screening and for this reason had not
engaged in regular testing. Lack
of information in the language of
women’s preference and
communication barriers clearly
compound an already invasive
procedure.
Sessions were of great value to
participants for many reasons
including importantly, that they
cleared up misconceptions the women
had had regarding the cervical
screening process.
QUALITY USE OF MEDICINE
This year we continued work with
immigrant women in rural areas
regarding the quality use of medicine.
Sessions were organised in a number
of centres around Victoria including
Shepparton, Cobram, Bendigo, and
Ballarat. This was made possible
through the connections MCWH has
developed over a number of years’
work with women’s groups across the
state. The Project was funded by the
National Prescribing Service.
VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
Violence against women in the
workplace is an important issue and
a priority for the Trades Hall Women’s
Committee. The Committee surveyed
Victorian Trade Unions, women’s
groups and individual women for
their views on this topic.
Funding was then provided by the
Victorian Women’s Trust to hold a
series of focus groups in a number of
community languages, the aim of
which being to obtain the input
on this issue from immigrant women.
Some of these groups were facilitated
by MCWH Bilingual Health Educators
and dependent on the need, our
Educators may be called upon to
facilitate further groups in the
coming year.
Angela Nesci
health education
programs coordinator
farrep
program
As Statewide FARREP (Family and
Reproductive Rights Education
Program) Coordinator my role
continued to centre around
the delivery of services and support
to targeted communities that is,
African-Australians and their
families across Victoria.
Community education and capacity
building were a major part of this
work for the year 2005-2006. As
FARREP Coordinator, I worked with
the communities themselves, and
service providers and government
departments looking to improve their
work with these groups.
Case work this year included several
cases from interstate; most of these
clients were newly-arrived women
and their families.
My work with service providers
included building on previous work
with the Melbourne Fire Brigade, and
with the Family Court of Australia;
developing a training package for
Horn of Africa bilingual workers and
providing cross-cultural training to
the Court’s service providers. I also
assisted interstate workers on a
range of issues, refugee women
being an area of special interest.
This year much of my time was spent
on community consultation identifying
gaps in service delivery for
consideration by FARREP. I consulted
with many women’s groups including
Eritrean, Ethiopian, Sudanese,
Congolese, Sierra Leone, Nigerian,
Botswana, Horn of Africa and Somali
women’s groups, on sexual and
reproductive health and other issues.
As always I worked collaboratively
with many partners such as the
African-Australian Welfare Council,
Horn of African Communities
Network, Eastern and Central African
Communities in Victoria, VICSEG,
EMC, AMES, CEH, NMIT, Islamic
Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria,
MRCs, RMH, FPV, MFB, and CCV. As
always, I also worked in this way with
DHS, FARREP’s coordinators, and
hosting agencies. Steering groups,
committees and presenting at forums
such as conferences was another way
I represented African communities.
Ongoing requests from the African-
Australian community saw the
establishment of the Centre for
African-Australian Women’s Issues
(CAAWI). CAAWI is the first African
Women’s Centre in Australia; its Board
is comprised of African-Australian
women and mainstream services are
represented on its Advisory Group.
This was the real highlight of
2005-2006 and the culmination of
considerable effort and focus.
CAAWI’s priority is the health,
wellbeing and settlement of African-
Australian women and their families.
(25,000 African women and their
families live in Victoria, many
arriving here with little opportunity to
prepare for life in Australia.) I would
like to take this opportunity to thank
all those that have assisted me with
CAWWI’s inception; their enthusiasm
for the Centre augurs well both for
its development, and its major aim
of improving African-Australian
women’s living conditions and their
position in wider Australian society.
Special thanks to MCWH staff and
Executive Director Adele Murdolo.
(MCWH auspices my position and is
an active supporter of CAWWI.)
This year’s work will provide African-
Australian women and their families
greater opportunities into the future.
Their communities including the
broader Australian community only
stand to benefit.
Samia Baho
statewide
farrep coordinator
This year I continued to run health
sessions with women from African
communities. Women participating
in sessions varied in many ways
including age and language which
included Arabic, Tigre, Tigrigna, and
English. Sessions covered a wide
range of topics from reproductive
health to safety in the home. There
was also an increase of requests for
information on certain topics
including contraception, breast self-
examination, pap tests and STIs.
Through networking with AMES
Footscray, I was able to gain access
to a group of newly-arrived women
who requested several health topics
which will be included in my plans for
future session work. My work with
newly-arrived women covered health
information, but also relevant
referrals and follow-up on previous
contact. I sent many women
information in both Arabic and
English on MCWH health modules
and also on general women’s health.
Aside from my central role in
providing health education sessions
to women from African communities,
one of my other core roles is the
promotion of FARREP, and my role as
a FARREP community worker. I also
promote my work as a MCWH
Bilingual Health Educator. Promotion
this year included reaching women in
the community including new arrivals
and promotion to organisations
interested in African women’s health.
I was contacted by many
organisations, including those
providing services to African women
such as multilingual resourcing,
support and referral.
Networking as previously mentioned
is very important in my work and
aside from my connection to AMES
Footscray, I also continued to
develop and maintain my networks
with African service providers,
FARREP agencies and workers, and
other African community workers and
leaders. In this way we exchange
information and develop better
strategies to improve service delivery
(including referral). Networking
allows us to reach more women in
the community and in the workplace,
and to develop our service delivery,
most importantly to best respond to
needs as identified by the women
themselves.
I also improved my skills base
through training which this year
included home safety with the
Melbourne Metropolitan Fire
Brigade, and Family Court training
in community facilitation. Attending
IWDVS Forums on visas and related
issues (‘Justice the Longest Journey
Forum’) and the impact of violence
on women (‘Violence Against Women
Forum’) further developed my
knowledge and skills base.
It has been a year of new ways and
new opportunities to reach African
women.
Medina Idriess
farrep community worker
page thirteen
 MCWH is building
resources and capacity
to control its
future and sustainability.

This includes
being recognised as
a model workplace for
immigrant women,
demonstrating
its leadership in
the field of
immigrant women’s health
and conducting research
and development projects
relevant to
immigrant women’s health.

These outcomes
continue to mean
MCWH’s vision, mission,
and values are realised.

a
viable
organisation
page fourteen
community health educators staff board
Cally Ituarte/Greek Adele Murdolo Sandra Lordanic
Executive Director Chairperson
Chau Bao Tran/Vietnamese
Mariastella Pulvirenti Tina Skliros
Faranak Safaei/Dari and Farsi Deputy Chairperson
Executive Director (to Dec 05)
Hien Tran/Vietnamese Annette Sassano
Carmela Ieracitano
Multilingual Library Coordinator Eugenia Castro
Jeanette Shepherd/Tagalog (Dec 2005)
Angela Nesci Gabrielle Marchetti
Khadija Ali Hashi/Somali
Health Education Programs Coordinator
Chris Raab
Loranie Leas/Khmer (Jul 2005)
Amira Rahmanovic
Pana Dokos
Marianna Jerbic/Croatian Training Programs Coordinator
Antoinette Butler-Wilks
Medina Idriess/Arabic, Tigre, Tigrigna Samia Baho
Statewide FARREP Coordinator Repa Patel
Rachanee Naksuk/Thai
Medina Idriess
Sevgi Bulut/Turkish FARREP Community Worker students on placement
Marika Alamides
Soledad Diaz/Spanish Vijaya Arun
Year 10
Finance Coordinator
Sonali Desphande/Hindi Methodist Ladies College, Kew
Anna Volpe Rosa Vasseghi
Svetlana Bucevska/Macedonian Publications and Promotions Coordinator International Community Development
Violetta Prestia/Italian Victoria University, St. Albans
Cristina Moore
Office Manager (casual to Aug 06) Seeletso Mosweunyane
Wafa Ibrahim/Arabic
School of Public Health
Wei Li/Mandarin (Aug 2005) La Trobe University, City Campus

Yanping Xu/Cantonese and Mandarin Fatma Musa

Community Development
Victoria University, St. Albans

mcwh’s mcwh’s
working working
women women
page fifteen
business
plan
MCWH worked together with the
Department of Human Services and
BDO Consultants to develop a
Business Plan for the organisation
to span the period 2004/05 to
2008/09.
Overall, the Business Plan outlined
some of the ways that MCWH could
more effectively link our financial
position and performance with our
strategic and operational plans.
A major outcome of the Business Plan
was the decision to relocate and
co-locate—a very positive financial
move for MCWH. Importantly, we
were most pleased to have received
significant financial support from DHS
for our relocation.
We also began this year addressing
some of the other priority issues
raised in the Business Plan. These
include focusing more closely on our
revenue sources, evaluating the
financial implications of our
information provision role, and
developing a more accurate process
for costing our programs and
services. To address these issues, we
have developed an action plan which
will be implemented over the next
financial year.
page sixteen
With the 30th anniversary of the
establishment of our unique and very
special organisation looming, we are
very keen to use our current resources
more wisely in order to ensure the
sustainability and growth of MCWH
into the future.
MCWH has already created an
important legacy for immigrant and
refugee women—we intend to ensure
it is here for the women of the next 30
years and that it continues to enrich
this living, adapting, and special
legacy for the generations of women
it serves and will serve into the future.
Dr Adele Murdolo
executive director
financial our hectic schedule I did not.
Nevertheless, I still gained valuable
resources accounting experience by reinforcing
and consolidating previously
Another financial year has come to achieved accounting knowledge.
an end. Yet this year has been quite
unique when compared to previous Additionally, our new premises and
years. This comes as a result of our equipment has enabled me to
previous director Mariastella Pulvirenti enhance the organisational aspect
leaving and Adele Murdolo returning of my duties which is most pleasing.
with her baby. Additionally other
changes have occurred, from As always the MCWH team deserves
relocating our organisation to praise, for each of my colleagues
changing our name. are supportive of all my endeavours.
Finally I would like to thank Sandra
Moreover, I experienced greater Lordanic, Judith Schrever, Arty
personal commitments this year due Richetti, and Janet Collyer for their
to the loss of my dearest mother. Yet assistance.
despite these difficult circumstances
I managed to maintain my high Vijaya Arun
standard of financial duties which finance coordinator
include examination and updating of
accounts on a daily basis.
The rationale behind my efforts this
year, without doubt is due to the
unremitting support and comfort
provided by MCWH’s team and the
Board. The team was always cheerful
and understanding towards my
situation and this enabled me to work
with minimal grief. And for this I am
extremely grateful.
With regards to refining my
accounting skills, self improvement
was gained in a different manner this
year. In previous years, I attended
professional training but this year with
mcwh’s financial resources #1

page seventeen
mcwh’s financial resources #2

page eighteen
mcwh’s financial resources #3

If you would like a copy of the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health Notes to and forming
part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 30th June 2006 please contact MCWH
and we will send you a copy.

page nineteen
 thanks!
Gruppo Per Donne
Italiane di Coburg,
Homestead Community
Centre Roxburgh Park,
Horn of Africa
Peer Educators,
Horn of Africa
Women’s Group,
Horn of African
Communities Network,
Hua Xin Chinese Association,
Immigrant Women’s
Domestic Violence Service,
Immigration Museum,
International Women’s
Group Morwell,
Iraqi Assyrian Chaldean
Women’s Group,
Iraqi Women’s English Class
Group Cobram,
ISIS,
Islamic Women’s Welfare
Council of Victoria,
Janet Collyer,
Jesuit Social Services,
Joumanah El Matrah,
Juan Pablo Montess,
Judith Schrever,
Katie Vasey,
t: 03 9418 0999 e: info@mcwh.com.au f: 03 9417 7877 a: suite 207, level 2, carringbush building, 134 cambridge street, collingwood victoria 3066 n: www.mcwh.com.au
thanks! thanks! thanks! thanks!
Kenman Kandy, Moreland Community SBS Thai Radio, VICSEG,
Key Centre for Health Service, School of Biomedical Sciences Victorian Trades
Women’s Health MRC Gippsland, Victoria University, Hall Council,
University of Melbourne, MRC St. Albans, Senior African Vietnamese Elderly
Kurdish Women’s Group, National Prescribing Service, Elderly Group, Group Richmond,
Lenore Manderson, NESB Workers’ Network Shepparton ECC, Villa Del Sole
Loddon Mallee Shepparton and Cobram, Shepparton TAFE, Nursing Home,
Women’s Health, Netcore Pty Ltd, Sierra Leone Western Health
Louise Multicultural Nigerian Women’s Group, Community Association, Services Footscray,
Community Centre, NMIT Collingwood, Sierra Leone Women’s Group, Women’s Health
Macedonian Community NMIT Preston, Somali Women’s Group, Association of Victoria,
Council of Victoria, North Melbourne CHC, South Melbourne Greek Women’s Health East,
Macedonian Day Care North Yarra CHC, Women’s Group, Women’s Health
Group Preston, Nuzhat Lotia, Spanish Women’s Goulburn North East,
Macedonian Planned Activity Office of Women’s Policy, Group Coburg, Women’s Health
Group Whittlesea, PADA, St. Francis Nursing Home, Grampians,
Macedonian Social Support Pamela Brañas, Stacey Mansfield, Women’s Health
Group Lalor, PapScreen Victoria, Sudanese Women In the North,
Macedonian Social Support Planned Activity in the West, Women’s Health in the
Group Preston, Group Moreland, Sudanese Women’s Group, South East,
Macedonian Social Support Peter McKemmish, Sultan Cinar, Women’s Health
Group Thomastown, Rebound Sportswear, TRANX, Information Centre RWH,
Maria Di Ciccio, Royal Women’s Hospital, Turkish Women’s Women’s Health
Maria Tence, Sally Richardson, Group Fawkner, Matters ACT,
Melba Industries, Same-Sex Attracted Turning Point, Women’s Health Victoria,
Mercy Hospital for Women, Young People’s Service System United Somali Women’s Health West,
Metro Printing, Intervention Project, Women’s Organisation, Youth Service Central Hume
MFB, San Carlo Nursing Home, University of California Council Broadmeadows.
Mixed Elderly Greek Group, SBS Chinese Radio, Berkeley,