Mental health systems in Australia have been built on normative assumptions of about gender, relationships, and lived experience that do not always reflect the realities of LGBTIQ+ women. As a result, many LGBTIQ+ women encounter services that are not designed for them, are inconsistent in their responsiveness, and at times contribute to exclusion or harm. Despite this, their experiences remain largely absent from mainstream women’s mental health policy and reform agendas.
This presentation will examine how these gaps are produced and sustained at a systems level. Drawing on national evidence and sector insights, it will identify key structural drivers, including the persistent invisibility of LGBTIQ+ women in population data, limited workforce capability in inclusive practice, and policy settings that can at times, fail to account for diversity and experiences of marginalisation. It will also highlight how these factors intersect with broader social determinants of mental health, shaping patterns of access, engagement, and outcomes.
The presentation will then focus on what reform looks like in practice. This includes strengthening national data collections through the consistent use of inclusive standards, embedding accountability for culturally safe and affirming care within funding and commissioning frameworks, and investing in community‑controlled and co‑designed models of care. It will also emphasise the importance of prevention and early intervention approaches that recognise the role of social connection, safety, and inclusion in mental health outcomes.
Framed through the theme of “making the invisible visible,” this presentation will argue that addressing the needs of LGBTIQ+ women is not peripheral to system reform, but central to it. Building effective mental health systems requires explicit attention to those who have been excluded, ensuring that policy, practice, and investment decisions are grounded in evidence, equity, and lived experience.