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Focus on Women - 2003

Use this page to download Focus on Women papers released in 2003.

How About IT? Women in Information Technology
Issue 9

Much attention has been paid in recent times to the significant absence of women from careers in IT. This issue of Focus of Women looks at explanations for the under-representation of women in IT and other related concerns.
Format: PDF (41 Kb)

The Health and Wellbeing of Women in Prison: Issues Impacting on Health and Wellbeing
Issue 8

This is the second of two Focus on Women papers on the health and wellbeing of women in prisons. The first paper provided a profile of women in Australian prisons and an overview of current government responses. This second paper examines health and wellbeing issues of female prisoners. It is based on the World Health Organisation's definition of health as: 'a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.'
Format: PDF (136 Kb)

The Health and Wellbeing of Women in Prison: The Profile of Female Prisoners
Issue 7

Women comprise a small but growing proportion of the Australian prison population. The experience of imprisonment is often associated with a range of health and wellbeing issues for women. They include physical and mental health, substance abuse, suicide and self-harm, a history of physical or sexual abuse, social disadvantage, and relationship issues, particularly access to or care of children. These complex and diverse needs create particular challenges for the management and rehabilitation of women while in prison and for community reintegration and support needs after release. This is the first of two papers on the health and wellbeing of female prisoners. It provides a profile of women in Australian prisons and an overview of current government responses. The second paper, Issue 8, discusses the health and wellbeing issues of women in prison.
Format: PDF (64 Kb)

Looking Risky: Body Image and Risk Taking Behaviours
Issue 6

This paper examines body image and risk taking behaviours across the lifecycle of women. The discussion looks at body image as a broad concept and examines the comprehensive range of effects of unhealthy body image on women's physical and mental health. Unhealthy body image can be associated with unhealthy behaviours. Risk taking behaviours such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, disordered eating and suicide and self harm are examined to see whether there are commonalities between women with unhealthy body image and women who engage in risk taking behaviours. The paper also looks at factors that influence body image through the lifecycle. These factors include women's age and life events, which intersect with social, cultural and economic environments. The paper looks at recent studies and statistics on levels of body dissatisfaction and the prevalence of risk taking behaviours to identify policy implications and intervention points aimed at improving levels of body image satisfaction and reduce engagement in risk taking behaviours.
Format: PDF (84 Kb)

Women as Health Consumers: The Breast Cancer Experience
Issue 5

This paper provides an overview of women's emerging role within the consumer movement in health, using the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) as a case study. There is extensive research literature on consumer involvement in health care. However, most research is limited to surveying consumer views of services and facilities that they have used but not on consumer input at a policy level.
Format: PDF (112 Kb)

Young Women - Developing Leadership
Published: January 2003

Focuses on young women and leadership, through an exploration of how leadership is conceptualised and an identification of factors that nurture existing leaders.
Format: PDF (124 Kb)