Women’s health issues have long been underfunded and under-researched, which has led to severe misunderstandings about how women’s health conditions present. Although women generally live longer than men, these years are often spent in ill-health; they are more likely to experience chronic pain, poor mental health, and are diagnosed later for more than 700 diseases.

These significant differences in health outcomes for men and women also apply to mental health and often lead to misdiagnosis and incorrectly prescribed medications and treatments, something which Dr Ashna Basu is passionate about changing.

Dr Ashna Basu is an award-winning doctor, speaker and global advocate for gender equity who recently spoke at a UN Women panel during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. She currently works in Sydney's public hospital psychiatry system and uses her position to advocate for gender equity as well as mental health, governance and policy, and sexual health.

She has seen, first-hand, the significant impact that social determinants can have on women’s mental health. Menopause, financial abuse and many other gender-specific health disparities hold women back from reaching their full potential, and we are extremely excited to have her join us for this year’s Mavis Robertson International Women’s Day lunches to discuss what we can do to try to make the women in our lives feel 'more like themselves' during these life events.