On Tuesday July 23 2024, BreastScreen Victoria launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and revealed beautiful artwork by Kedeasha Jackson, a Wemba Wemba, Ngiyampaa, and Wiradjuri artist, as part of the journey towards Reconciliation.
Compared to non-Indigenous women, the latest data from the Victorian Cancer Registry shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a more advanced stage, leading to poorer health outcomes.
Rita Butera, BreastScreen Victoria CEO, says, “Our vision for Reconciliation is to ensure that First Nations women have fair and inclusive access to a culturally safe breast cancer screening service. Unfortunately, some communities face barriers to early intervention services like breast cancer screening, resulting in later stage diagnosis and poorer health outcomes."
BreastScreen Victoria consulted widely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for the development of its first Reconciliation Action Plan. A working group was established co-chaired by Aunty Esmai Manahan, a Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara woman, who is a member of BreastScreen Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consumer Advisory Group. Extensive community consultation with First Nations women was conducted in regional and metropolitan Victoria.
Guided by the cultural knowledge and experiences shared by First Nations consumers and partners, the Reconciliation Action Plan aims to remove these barriers and increase breast screening rates and early detection of breast cancer in First Nations women.
The Plan describes specific actions that will be carried out over the next two years. These actions are based on four pillars of inclusion: Relationships, Respect, Opportunities and Governance. Each pillar has clear actions that represent BreastScreen Victoria’s promise to honouring and celebrating First Nations cultures, including actively fostering relationships, improving the cultural safety of its services and providing pathways to employment, staff personal and professional development as well as partnership opportunities.
Encouraged by the feedback from First Nations women and the willingness of the team at BreastScreen Victoria to learn, we take the next steps in our Reconciliation journey together.
To read the Reconciliation Action Plan, visit breastscreen.org.au/RAP