Our Herstory
The 23 Women’s Health Centres in NSW grew out of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1970s, which understood that women were not equal citizens in the world, and worked to change this. One of the main ways of redressing that imbalance was by providing health care for women that was woman-focused, and committed to a broader view of health for women, and to actively lobby and campaign for women’s rights.
Illawarra Women’s Health Centre Inc is an incorporated organisation formed in 1984 to provide a comprehensive, non-government, non-profit, community-based health service run by women for women. The service was established with a particular focus on understanding the experience and realities of women living in the Illawarra.
The current purpose-built centre in Warilla was opened in 1986 but the service actually commenced in 1980 as a very small service operating out of the Wollongong Women’s Information Centre in the Wollongong LGA. It soon moved to Warilla in the Shellharbour LGA, to provide accessible health care to women in the southern areas who were isolated from the main services of the city of Wollongong.
The centre was designed by women—women laid the actual brick foundations—and physical access for women with disabilities is excellent.
The service prioritises women who are disadvantaged by virtue of circumstance, socio-economic status, discrimination, etc. and most services and activities are provided free or at low cost in recognition of the circumstances of our target groups.