CWA Calls on Women in NSW and ACT to Share Their Voice in Annual Survey

The Country Women’s Association of New South Wales is inviting women across the state and in the ACT to take part in its Annual Women’s Survey, an initiative designed to strengthen advocacy efforts by collecting real data on the issues affecting women in rural, regional and urban communities.

Now in its second year, the survey is open to all women living in NSW and the ACT, regardless of whether they are CWA members.

“We just want every woman living in NSW and the ACT to contribute to this,” said President of the NSW branch of the CWA Tanya Jolly. “Your answers will help with our advocacy work—and at the end of the day, that helps you as well.”

As of mid-October, the survey has already received over 750 responses, but Ms Jolly said there’s still room for more. “That’s great—but we can do better,” she said, encouraging women from all walks of life to take part. “It’s important to note that you don’t have to be a member of the CWA to participate.”

The survey aims to gather detailed information about the biggest challenges facing women today, particularly in regional communities. So far, Ms Jolly says access to healthcare tops the list, with 47 percent of respondents rating it as their number one concern.

“It’s access to GPs and doctors, the cost of bulk billing, and the travel and distance to services that people are really struggling with,” Ms Jolly said. Other key concerns include cost of living pressures, electricity prices, rising grocery bills, and local rates.

The data collected from the survey plays a direct role in shaping the CWA’s ongoing advocacy work.

“We’re actually invited onto a panel with our Premier, Chris Minns, next week,” Ms Jolly said. “We’ll have these results in more detail then, and I’m hoping to be able to flag some of the issues directly with him.”

Women interested in participating can find the survey via the CWA of NSW website at cwaofnsw.org.au