annual report - Multicultural Centre for Women's Health

Understanding SexualityTraining ProgramThe Understanding Sexuality Training Programwas offered to bilingual and bicultural workerswho work with women in their communities.The half-day program aimed to raiseawareness about sexuality issues withinimmigrant and refugee communities.A total of 11 representatives from eight agenciesparticipated, most of whom were engagedin work with GLBTI communities within theirorganisations. The training will be offeredagain in the future to bilingual and biculturalworkers, with the aim of building capacityamong this important group in our healthand community workforce.Internal Bilingual HealthEducator TrainingBilingual Health Educators undertook ongoingtraining during the year to ensure that theirknowledge and skills stay up-to-date. Topicsare selected based on BHE feedback aboutgaps in their knowledge in relation to thewomen’s needs for information and education.Topics covered this year were: safer sex forover 50s; healthy bones and arthritis; andviolence against women. Training programswere generally well received with an averageof 75% of participants rating the programsas ‘excellent’.BHE Induction ProgramMCWH’s eight newly-recruited BHEsparticipated in a 12-day induction programwhich is designed to ensure that BHEs have theknowledge and skills they require to conductengaging and effective multilingual healtheducation programs with women in theircommunities. The comprehensive programcovers all the core health issues covered inthe MCWH programs, as well as the corecompetencies required to deliver high qualityeducation sessions on those core issues,following the MCWH woman-to-womanapproach. All eight trainees successfullycompleted the in-house course and went onto participate in on-the-job training throughobservation and trial, before starting theirfirst sessions with women.This seminar far exceeded my expectations.The knowledge, information and resourcesprovided were so well rounded andcomprehensive that I feel much moreconfident and prepared in my ability to‘’develop and run my program.capacitybuilding& advocacypapersMCWH made seven presentations on a rangeof topics relevant to immigrant and refugeewomen’s health and wellbeing.Kinect Australia Physical Activity & Healthy EatingAcross the Life Stages Forum, Melbourne,30 June 2011Diabetes Prevention for Immigrant and RefugeeWomen: Findings from the Diabetes HealthyLiving Project, Carolyn PoljskiGreek Community of Melbourne and Victoria,Antipodes Festival, Cross-Cultural Women’sLeadership Forum, Melbourne, 16 June 2011Leadership Through Immigrant and RefugeeWomen’s Inspiring Life Stories, Adele MurdoloVictoria University Biomedical Students,St Albans, 12 April 2011Wellness for Immigrant and Refugee Women,Amira RahmanovicVictorian NILS Forum, Melbourne,9 November 2010Creating Better Access to Microfinance forImmigrant and Refugee Women, Carolyn PoljskiAustralian Centre for the Study of SexualAssault, Supporting CALD Women Whoare Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence:Challenges and Opportunities for PractitionersForum, Melbourne, 26 and 27 October 2010Panel Members: Adele Murdolo andAmira RahmanovicWomen’s Friendship Group 4th AnniversaryLuncheon, Melbourne, 24 September 2010Response to the Women Connecting:Exploring Women’s Friendship in a MulticulturalSetting Research Report, Adele Murdolo andAmira Rahmanovic10