Spotlight on Stigma: Inquiry into Women’s Pain

Spotlight on Stigma: Inquiry into Women’s Pain

With Professor Kate Seear and Kat Stanley

Presented by the UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health

When: Thursday 19 March 2026, 2pm–3pm AEDT

Where: Online

To register for this event, sign up here.

Women and girls who experience pain face significant barriers to care, including medical gender bias and systemic stigma. This can lead to denial and dismissal of pain, misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses, and lack of pain relief and treatment. In response, the Victorian Government introduced Australia’s first Inquiry into Women’s Pain through their Women’s Health and Wellbeing Program, with the final report launched in late 2025. The Inquiry gathered insights from over 13,000 women, girls, carers, health workers, peak bodies, and researchers to identify the experiences of women and girls with pain conditions in accessing care. We hear from the Deputy Chair of the Inquiry as well as an expert practitioner who is a member of the Victorian Women’s Health Advisory Council.

Professor Kate Seear is a lawyer, sociologist and ARC Industry Fellow based in the Deakin Law School. She has received over $8 million in research funding, including an ARC Future fellowship, ARC DECRA fellowship, ARC Discovery Projects, and funding from other bodies including the Commonwealth and Victorian Departments of Health. Her main areas of expertise are: alcohol and other drugs, health, gender, stigma and the body. Kate is the Deputy Chair of the Victorian Inquiry into Women’s Pain, and a member of the Victorian Ministerial Women’s Health Advisory Council. Her PhD explored women’s experiences with endometriosis and resulted in the book The makings of a modern epidemic: Endometriosis, gender and politics (published through Ashgate).

Kat Stanley is a person with lived experience, former director of Endo Help foundation, a provisional psychologist, consumer representative on the Victorian Women’s Health Advisory Council, and Deputy Chair of the Women’s Health Research Institute subcommittee. She translates her lived experience, themes from stories of those with pelvic pain, and the most recent research findings into advocacy that gives a voice to women and people who have often been unheard. This has helped inform research, workshops, clinical training and policy. Kat’s unique perspective, skills, and networks have helped her to generate comprehensive and innovative ideas to improve the lives of those with endo and pelvic pain both within the medical system and their daily lives. Kat’s wish is for everyone with pelvic pain to be SEEN, BELIEVED, and HEARD.