Women across WA can now be involved with She Speaks.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) researchers responsible for the SheSpeaks project have received an additional $50,000 funding over two years from the Western Australian Government's Department of Communities Women's Grants for a Stronger Future program to enable the expansion of workshops promoting women's wellbeing from Esperance to Broome.
"This additional funding validates the importance of our work and allows the project to support women in regions where wellbeing resources are more limited," ECU Professor and SheSpeaks Founder Narelle Lemon said.
The SheSpeaks project, which has already operated in Perth with State Government funding for a year, has created a transformative space for Western Australian women to redefine their relationship with self-care and develop a practical wellbeing literacy that extends beyond conventional approaches.
This innovative initiative has demonstrated significant impact in changing how women perceive, articulate, and implement self-care practices in their everyday lives.
Western Australian statistics show concerning trends with 1 in 5 women diagnosed with mental health conditions, 8 out of 10 women do not do enough physical activity, and 1 in 4 have unpaid caring responsibilities that often take precedence over personal wellbeing.
Professor Narelle Lemon hosts the workshops.
"We're particularly excited to adapt our approach to meet the unique needs of women in these communities, extending our reach and supporting women with how they approach their self-care and wellbeing in the everyday," Professor Lemon said.
The expansion to these regions represents an important evolution in the project's mission to make wellbeing literacy accessible to all Western Australian women, regardless of geographic location or circumstance.
"We're not offering a one-size-fits-all approach, we're providing women with a diverse set of tools and the knowledge to select the right tools for different situations. This flexibility ensures that the impact continues long after the formal project concludes," Professor Lemon said.
"The SheSpeaks project has successfully challenged prevailing narratives that position self-care as selfish, additional work, or impossible for women who prioritise caring for others. By providing women with a language to articulate their wellbeing needs and practical strategies to address them, the project has empowered participants to take proactive steps toward flourishing."
"What we're seeing is women becoming wellbeing advocates within their families, workplaces, and communities. They're not just implementing self-care practices themselves; they're actively changing conversations about wellbeing in their spheres of influences," ECU Professor Julie Ann Pooley explained.
The workshop environment has become a crucial element in fostering genuine change.
"The relationships that we're forming with participants is really exciting. And that also brings joy to all of us. Of course, we hear about many challenges, and they can be very challenging stories, but we're trying to have that safe space to discuss them and provide participants with opportunities and options to feel safe and to address some of the challenges that they might be experiencing," ECU Professor Verena Thomas said.
Season two of the SheSpeaks podcast is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.
To learn more about registering for the workshops head to the SheSpeaks website.
