Guest Editorial: A New National Women’s Health Policy: Legal, Ethical and Policy Initiatives to Support Women’s Health
Journal of Law and Medicine, Vol. 17, No. 1. pp. 9-15, 2009
Posted: 20 May 2010
Abstract
In 1989 the first National Women’s Health Policy was launched in Australia. Now, 20 years later, the Federal Government has announced plans for the development of a new National Women’s Health Policy to address the health needs of Australian women. This editorial examines the role for law in the development of a new National Women’s Health Policy. It considers the relevance of regulatory frameworks for health research in supporting an evidence base for health interventions and analyses the requirement in the National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research for “fair inclusion” of research participants. The editorial argues for a holistic approach to women’s health that includes regulatory frameworks for research, identification of funding priorities for research, and the need for a dedicated government department or agency to promote women’s health.
Keywords: health law, gender, medical research, policy
JEL Classification: K10, K30, K32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation