News

Rural women leading in health

International Day of Rural Women was celebrated recently, and to mark the occasion, the Faculty of Medicine and Health shared stories from two members of the Faculty who are based outside metro areas. UCRH’s Sarah Crook was one of those featured, as was Charlene Noye from the Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health. We loved their stories and wanted to share them more broadly.

Celebrating the contributions of women in rural communities

After a few FIFO and drive in drive out stints across regional and remote NSW, Sarah Crook moved to the Northern Rivers ten years ago. Now an Occupational Therapist at UCRH, Sarah also operates a macadamia farm with her husband.

Access to allied health services is limited for many people living in the area, and the student programs not only provide a rich learning experience for the students, but also provide much needed services to rural communities. Through her role, Sarah delivers and participates in inter-professional learning experiences with a diverse group of allied health students.

It’s important that we recognise the substantial and varied contributions that women make to rural communities. This may be through working and contributing to the economy, but also through unpaid work such as carer roles, educating others and volunteering.” 

Sarah says that having a great job in a beautiful rural setting is a bonus. “You get to work with diverse communities who teach you a lot about life. Travelling and exploring new areas can be exciting and certainly keeps me motivated.

“As there often aren’t all services available in rural areas, you tend to extend your scope of practice quicker than if you were working in a metro area. You also have to network with others, creating communities of practice to support your work. Most people spend less time on the road (with no traffic) and you don’t have the hustle and bustle of city life, so the old work life balance seems easier to achieve in a rural setting.”

Of course, with the benefits come some challenges. Sarah highlight’s that access to health services can be a challenge, with travel a necessity for most who require specialist care.

“I’d like to see rural women afforded the same opportunities to education, economic pursuits and healthcare. We have a lot to offer!

“We’re also living in a place that experiences extreme weather events, witnessing catastrophic floods and fires across our region. Whilst towns are still re-building and we have seen significant individual and community trauma, these events also highlighted the strength and resilience of our rural communities, as community members came together to lead the community response and rescues.”

To see some of this work, check out Resilient Lismore.

When it comes to misconceptions of rural life, Sarah says that the online images of farm life can portray a perfect picture. “The reality of farming is that it’s a tough gig! Before running our own farm, I’d never considered the impact that weather could play on crops and that prices can vary significantly (often dropping) whilst the cost of running properties continues to rise.

“Whilst the cost of living rurally is also generally lower, property prices in our region are extremely high and there’s low rental availability, which makes it harder for people to secure affordable housing – which is essential for most healthcare workers. Many of the students through our program have wanted to return to our area to work, but this has been a significant barrier for them.”

Sarah says that it’s important to recognise and celebrate the diversity in our rural communities and that all members are represented. “Women bring different perspectives to the issues rural communities face and are often passionate about bringing positive change. They bring innovative ideas, are resourceful and know how to make things happen.

“I also think it’s important that we recognise the substantial and varied contributions that women make to rural communities. This may be through working and contributing to the economy, but also through unpaid work such as carer roles, educating others and volunteering. A gender gap remains, and this can be larger in rural areas, where some industries are greater represented by males, including farming.

“I’d like to see rural women afforded the same opportunities to education, economic pursuits and healthcare. We have a lot to offer!”

Feeding the town

Charlene Noye from Broken Hill was part of the team to initiate the Bourke Community Garden project, which supports the community and surrounding areas through providing free fresh produce and employment opportunities. It’s a space for community, and for sharing knowledge, resources and culture. The project was initiated in 2020, reviving an old garden nursery site which had gone unused for many years.

The dream is big. The Bourke Community Garden project aims to feed the whole town, distributing food directly to community members. 

With strong ties to regional and rural areas, Charlene grew up in Dubbo and returned to the outback region to contribute to the rural & remote health workforce. In her past role working with Bourke Aboriginal Health Corporation Service (BACHS) to prevent and manage chronic disease, Charlene wanted to contribute to combating the many challenges around food security that impact nutrition and health.

Through her current role at the North West Academic Centre (NWAC), Charlene introduced university student placements to the project for the reciprocal benefits of student learning opportunities, and for the community garden team through the workshops and resources generated.

Current partners of the Bourke Community Garden project include the Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health (BHUDRH), Regional Enterprise Development Institute (REDIE.E), Bourke Aboriginal Health Corporation Service (BACHS), University of NSW’s Global Water Institute, NIB-Foundation, and the Royal Botanical Gardens Community Greening.