Together we're making progress towards equitable elimination of cervical cancer

Thanks to the ongoing generosity of Freemasons Foundation Victoria and our dedicated supporters, we’re making significant progress in our goal of equitably eliminating cervical cancer in Victoria by 2035.

In the fourth year of our five-year Eliminating Cervical Cancer Strategy, we worked to ensure every Victorian – regardless of background or postcode – has access to the information and services needed to protect themselves from this preventable cancer.

From community-led initiatives to healthcare partnerships and digital resources, your support is helping us reach more people, break down barriers, and save lives. Here we share some of the highlights of this work.

Putting prevention “In Your Hands”

As part of our strategy to make Victoria one of the first places in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, we launched “In Your Hands”. A campaign to encourage eligible Victorians to take control of their health and get screened – raising awareness of the new life-changing self-collection option now making screening less invasive and easier than ever.

Community champions changing the conversation

“Our priority communities face real challenges when it comes to accessing care,” said Kate Broun, Head of Cancer Screening, Early Detection and Immunisation. “We’re partnering with organisations on the ground to help overcome those barriers and make screening more accessible, more comfortable, and more culturally appropriate.”

One of the standout stories from the Eliminating Cervical Cancer Strategy comes from our partnership with Arabic Welfare Inc. Together, we launched a Community Champions initiative to promote cervical screening among Arabic-speaking women in Victoria.

“We’ve seen a real shift,” said Simar, a Senior Community Development Officer. “Women are talking about screening, supporting each other, and making informed choices about their health.”

Reaching remote communities

Equity also means reaching people in regional and remote areas. In 2024, our Bush Nursing Centre Grants helped bring cervical screening services to some of Victoria’s most isolated communities. Nearly 80 additional screening tests were performed – many for people who were long overdue, including some who hadn’t been screened in over 20 years.

Resources that resonate

We’re ensuring women and people with a cervix have the knowledge they need to confidently make decisions about their health care – especially in priority communities. We’ve developed more than 30 resources to help better understand HPV vaccination, cervical screening, and follow-up care.

A video explaining a colposcopy procedure has been one of our most impactful tools – viewed over 50,000 times on YouTube since February 2024. This video is now embedded in some major colposcopy centres across Victoria, helping thousands of patients feel more informed and less anxious before their procedures. It’s a small but important step and it’s only possible because of your support.

Looking ahead

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved – but we’re not slowing down. Our work to help eliminate cervical cancer continues, and we’re committed to keeping equity, innovation, and community at the heart of everything we do.

Your support is helping us build a future where cervical cancer is no longer a threat. Together, we’re changing lives and we’re grateful to have you with us on this journey.

“Freemasons Foundation Victoria, is deeply committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Victorians through initiatives that have long-term impact. As one of the few cancers that can be detected early and even prevented through regular cervical screening and HPV vaccination, cervical cancer elimination is well within our grasp,” said Sandra Jacobs, Chairperson, Freemasons Foundation Board.

“We’re proud of our ongoing partnership with Cancer Council Victoria in supporting their Eliminating Cervical Cancer Strategy. Being on track to eliminate cervical cancer in Victoria by 2035 is an incredible achievement that will save countless women’s lives.”