Gender equality is fundamental to delivering high-quality person-centred healthcare. Improving gender equality remains a long-term commitment to providing better outcomes for our staff and the people we care for across our health system. This will help ensure that all people continue to be welcomed and valued without fear of discrimination or bias due to their gender.
The diversity within our NSW Health workforce is a key strength. By celebrating our differences within our dedicated workforce and enhancing how we engage with gender in our work, we can continue to strengthen how we care for the communities across this state.
The release of our NSW Health Gender Equality Action Plan 2025-2028 marks a significant step towards making sure that everyone feels welcomed, respected and safe when working in and seeking healthcare. This plan plays an important role in ensuring that all people have equal access, experiences and opportunity regardless of their gender. The priorities and actions in the plan are for everyone: men and women, cisgender and transgender people, and people who are gender diverse.
As this is our first Gender Equality Action Plan, its focus is on system-wide actions. These actions recognise diversity in how we serve the community and improve gender equality across our health services and our workforce.
Strengthening diversity forms a pillar of Future Health (2022-2032), our strategic framework for guiding the delivery of healthcare. The Action Plan also builds on other work being done across NSW Health, including the LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy (2022-2027), the NSW Women's Health Framework (2019), and the NSW Health Workforce Plan (2022-2032).
This plan is the product of over a year of engagement, involving consumers and staff from every organisation across NSW Health. Learnings from international subject experts have also provided guidance on best practice. We heard from a wide range of people who are eager to see progress, and from many who are already making a difference in their own organisations. I would like to thank everyone who generously shared their views and aspirations that form the foundation of this work.