March 24th, 2021
Dear Prime Minister,
The Honourable Mr Scott Morrison,
I write to you as the President of the Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW). It will come as no surprise to you that the medical women of Australia are deeply disappointed and angered to learn that the culture which has been permitted to flourish in Parliament House, has put women at risk of harm, derision and neglect.
The behaviours and attitudes now being reported from Parliament House, are experienced by women in this country daily. It is time that you demonstrate leadership in providing support for and safeguard the women who work in and around government, along with the rest of the 50% of the constituents namely, the women in the community, whom you aim to serve. We facilitated a similar process with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons see: https://www.surgeons.org/Education/professional-development/all-professionaldevelopment-activities/operating-with-respect-owr-course
We recommend you take these immediate three actions:
1. That you act on the Recommendations from the Inquiry into Workplace Sexual Harassment from Kate Jenkins the Sex Discrimination Commissioner
2. That there is a meeting of peak bodies of women’s organisations around the country to inform Australian Parliament House of the issues
3. That all legislation is subjected to a gender lens
As some background, AFMW is a 100year old organisation and represents the ‘voice of medical women’. We are the conduit for great impact in the community. Our vision is to uplift the health of women and children as well as developing partnerships, with the intention of empowering others to do the same. My aim is that AFMW has a seat at the policy reform decision-making tables, along with other organisations that advocate for women’s health, gender equity and preventative care and I invite you to engage with us.
I look forward to collaborating with you as we make change happen and uplift the standards of behaviour and culture from where they currently are.
Yours sincerely,
Magdalena Simonis
MBBS FRACGP DRANZCOG MHH
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
