Rural and remote women are being left behind when it comes to accessing care for pain and chronic health conditions, according to a landmark new report into women’s pain.
The Bridging the Gender Pain Gap – Inquiry into Women’s Pain Report 2025 reveals that women living outside major cities face significantly longer wait times, fewer service options, and higher out-of-pocket costs when seeking help for ongoing pain conditions.
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Carmen Brown from the Rural Doctors Association of Victoria (RDAV) said that the report, which is the first of its kind in Australia, paints a troubling picture of failure when it comes to women’s health care.
‘This report shows that women suffering pain are facing widespread dismissal, misdiagnosis and long delays in care, with these experiences even more severe for women outside major cities,’ Dr Brown said.
‘Worse, it also confirms what rural doctors see every day; that women in rural and remote communities are waiting too long, travelling too far, and often missing out on care altogether. When access to GPs, specialists and allied health services is limited, women’s pain goes untreated, their conditions worsen, and their quality of life declines.
‘It also found that women living outside metropolitan areas were more likely to experience higher pain intensity and reported greater impacts on relationships, recreation, and self-care.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in regional areas faced compounded challenges due to racism, discrimination, and long travel distances for culturally safe care,’ she said.
‘Many rural women ultimately delay or abandon care because appointments required time away from work, family, and other responsibilities, and consequently live with pain over long periods of time.’
27 recommendations across seven key areas
The new report calls for changes including:
- Greater investment in women’s pain services in regional and rural Australia.
- Expansion of public pain clinics and allied health services.
- Recruitment and retention of rural health professionals
- Improved training for clinicians in gender-sensitive and trauma-informed care
- More research into women’s pain conditions and treatment options
RDAV President, Dr Louise Manning, said the findings underline the need to invest in rural medical workforce programs and support sustainable funding for rural general practice.
‘To improve access for women we need to build a system that delivers safe, continuous care for all Australians, no matter where they live,’ Dr Manning said.
‘Rural generalists, rural GPs and their multidisciplinary teams are often the first and only point of care for rural women managing chronic pain. Investing in rural health workforce capacity and service access is essential if we are to close the gender pain gap and the rural access gap at the same time.
‘Equity in healthcare shouldn’t depend on your postcode and this report highlights that significant work is needed to ensure that women and girls, wherever they live, receive compassionate, timely, and evidence-based care.’
Dr Manning said governments need to act on and implement the report’s recommendations with a rural lens, to ensure targeted funding for rural women’s health clinics, public pain services, and allied health supports across country areas.
