Summary of Indigenous women's health

Australian Indigenous Health Reviews From the Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience poorer health than other Australian women [1, 2]. Many Indigenous women suffer health problems due to the context of their lives, with significant impacts being related to dispossession, forced removals from family, racism, marginalisation and exposure to violence [1]. Women have many responsibilities as mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, wives and partners, and most commonly it is the women in households who have the main responsibility for looking after the health of other family members. There is the potential for significant health gains for Indigenous women through improved prevention, early detection and treatment to address the higher levels of risk factors and the burden of disease with earlier onset and lower survival rates. To ensure better health outcomes, strategies need to include knowledge and awareness of the history, experience, culture and rights of Indigenous women.