Lack of access by rural women to basic health, education and transport services has emerged from preliminary results of a national survey conducted by a group of leading rural social researchers at Charles Sturt University (CSU).

The random survey of rural women by the Gender, Women and Social Policy research group at CSU has initially resulted in over 300 responses across Australia.

Some 65 per cent of rural women stated they have had difficulty accessing a bulk-billing doctor, 68 per cent experienced similar difficulties accessing medical specialists and 45 per cent are in an area where they are not able to give birth locally. 

More than 60 per cent of women questioned said private health cover was not cost effective for them and their families.

“In the final week of this Federal election campaign, political parties must hear the voices of rural women across Australia and understand the problems they grapple with on a daily basis to access services deemed a right by women in metropolitan areas,” said the group’s Professor Margaret Alston.

A quarter of those questioned also stated that a rise in university fees would make it unaffordable for anyone in their family to seek tertiary education while a further one-third said an increase would make them opt for less expensive university courses.

Asked whether it was easy or difficult to access certain services: 

• 37 per cent said it was difficult to access general practitioners
• 38 per cent said it was difficult to access aged care
• 41 per cent said it was difficult to access counselling
• more than half said it was difficult to access mental health services
• 60 per cent found child-care inadequate.

With isolation an issue for many women in rural Australia, the survey highlighted concerns with accessibility to transport as only one-third felt train services were adequate and more than 70 per cent had no public transport to access health services in larger regional centres.

“The Gender, Women and Social Policy research group at CSU is still receiving survey results and we will fully analyse them over the coming weeks to highlight the concerns, which must be put on the agenda of all three levels of government,” added Professor Alston.