What’s Happening?
Women and girls in Rockhampton are invited to a free health and wellbeing workshop on Thursday, 28 May.
The session will run from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm at St Paul’s Cathedral Hall, 89 William Street, Rockhampton.
Women’s Health and Equality Queensland, known as WHEQ, is hosting the community session.
The workshop will focus on simple ways to care for mental health and overall well-being.
It is designed for women and girls who feel stretched, busy, or overwhelmed.
Dinner will be provided, and the event will be child-friendly.
Registrations are available at www.wheq.org.au/events.
Natalie Stokell, WHEQ Health Promotion Officer, said regional communities face added pressures.
“The work our team is doing recognises the many ways that inequality impacts the wellbeing of women and girls, particularly in regional and remote communities where services are often limited.”
Why It Matters
Mental health challenges remain a major concern for women across regional Queensland.
For many women, help is not always easy to access.
Cost, stigma, distance, and the belief that problems can be managed alone can delay support.
Ms Stokell said the Rockhampton event is designed to offer practical help and connection.
“We recognise the strength and knowledge that already exists within local communities and alongside offering support and advice to women and girls in Rockhampton we want to hear from them,” she said.
The session also gives WHEQ a chance to better understand local needs.
That feedback will help shape health promotion support in Rockhampton.
By the Numbers
- Nearly half of women in regional Queensland report experiencing depression or generalised anxiety, showing the scale of need beyond major cities.
- In Central Queensland, 49 per cent of women report mental health challenges, making local support a clear concern.
- Only 48 per cent of women seek help for mental health issues, with barriers including managing alone at 39 per cent, cost at 33 per cent, and not seeing the issue as serious enough at 31 per cent.
(Source: Women’s mental health in regional Queensland | selectability)
Local Impact
For Rockhampton women and girls, the session offers a free and accessible way to pause and reconnect.
It also creates a supportive setting where attendees can share a meal and speak about wellbeing.
Ms Stokell said the event will help WHEQ improve its local work.
“This local event will help inform how we improve and tailor our health promotion tools and services in the Rockhampton community setting,” she said.
“We invite women and girls to join us in a supportive space, to share a meal and gain some practical strategies that will make a real difference in their lives.”
Zoom In
The workshop will focus on everyday well-being.
It will offer practical and interactive advice for women and girls looking after themselves.
The session will also support social connection, which can be harder in regional communities.
Family and domestic violence is also the leading factor contributing to disease burden for women aged 14 to 44.
That makes prevention, early support, and safe community spaces especially important.
Zoom Out
WHEQ is a state-wide not-for-profit organisation.
For more than 40 years, it has worked to advance women’s health, gender equality, and violence prevention.
The organisation works with communities to support women, girls, and gender-diverse people across Queensland.
Its Rockhampton workshop forms part of that wider work.
It also reflects the need for regional voices in health planning and service delivery.
What To Look For Next?
The Rockhampton session may help WHEQ better understand what local women and girls need.
That insight could shape future health promotion tools and support services for the community.
