[readspeaker_listen_button readid=content]

In the aftermath of bushfires, women experience significant disruption to safety, health care access, and social support. Alongside the physical impacts, many women report increased stress, isolation, mental health concerns, and heightened risk of family and gender‑based violence. This case study demonstrates how place-based health promotion can respond to community needs:

Click the images to view support resources for bushfire impacted communities


To respond to these challenges, accessible, culturally safe and multilingual information was needed to help women quickly identify free, confidential support options for health, wellbeing and safety. 

Women’s Health Goulburn North East supported the distribution of two key resources: 

Together, these resources aimed to reduce barriers to help‑seeking by clearly promoting free, 24/7 and virtual services, including women’s health, family violence, mental health, sexual and reproductive health supports. 

For women affected by bushfires, seeking help can be complicated by: 

  • Loss of transport or local services 
  • Fear of stigma or lack of privacy in small communities 
  • Language barriers 
  • Uncertainty about where to start 

Many women require options that do not rely on face‑to‑face appointments, particularly when safety, distance or caring responsibilities are factors. The resources directly address this need by highlighting phone‑based and online services, including virtual clinical care and 24/7 family violence support. 

Clear, practical and inclusive information was developed and shared widely across fire‑impacted areas. 

The A5 poster promotes free health and gender‑based violence support available immediately, including: 

  • A virtual women’s health clinic 
  • Non‑life‑threatening emergency care by video 
  • Nurse‑on‑call support 
  • Local and statewide family violence support services

The bookmark complements this by providing portable, discreet information women can keep and access later, listing supports for: 

  • Family violence 
  • Mental health 
  • Sexual and reproductive health

Both resources present contact details in multiple languages, reinforcing that help is available regardless of background or circumstances.

While each woman’s experience is different, feedback from community workers and partner organisations indicates that having clear, trusted referral information in plain language increases confidence to reach out for help. 

The resources: 

  • Normalise help‑seeking during crisis and recovery 
  • Make pathways to support visible at a time when cognitive load is high 
  • Support early intervention by encouraging women to seek advice before issues escalate 
  • Strengthen local referral networks by aligning health and family violence responses 

Importantly, they support women to choose the service that best fits their needs, whether that is women’s health advice, mental health support, or assistance relating to family violence.

Accessible information is a critical enabler of safety and wellbeing, particularly for women experiencing layered impacts of disaster, stress and violence. 

By combining: 

  • Free services 
  • Remote and virtual access 
  • Multilingual communication 
  • Trusted local and statewide supports 

these resources play a vital role in ensuring women in Goulburn North East know that support is available — right now — and they are not alone.

Translate