Mosque-Based Reproductive-Health Workshops Reach Muslim Women in Sydney

The WARDA initiative – a two-year research project led by Western Sydney University – partnered with female faith leaders and volunteers in Sydney mosques to co-design and deliver faith-informed reproductive-health resources for Muslim women. Over the first year the team held 26 discussion-circle workshops, engaging 490 women across New South Wales mosques and community organisations. Participants received four evidence-based workbooks that combined medical information with Islamic perspectives and listed local services such as Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA), endometriosis clinics, Family Planning NSW and women’s health centres.

The ConversationMosques Become Gateways to Reproductive Health Care for Muslim Women in Sydney

Among workshop attendees, 30 % were Australian-born while the remainder originated from 33 different countries and spoke 21 languages. Roughly half spoke only English or English plus another language at home; 67 % lived in areas of high social disadvantage and 67 % held a bachelor’s degree or higher. The researchers reported that 99.8 % would recommend the workshops, 91.2 % found them very useful, and 81.8 % intended to change personal health practices after participation. Reported intended actions included using period-tracking apps, discussing health topics with family members, attending cervical-screening tests and taking post-natal supplements.

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The project was launched amid a record-level investment in Australian women’s health, highlighted by the federal government’s 2024 package of A$925.2 million for endometriosis care, menopause services, contraception access and health-professional training. Researchers argue that expanding clinics and budgets alone will not reach Muslim women who fear judgment, discrimination or religious conflict in mainstream settings. Their findings suggest that mosques can serve as trusted venues for delivering culturally appropriate health information, complementing broader policy efforts.

Mosques Become Gateways to Reproductive Health Care for Muslim Women in Sydney

Workshop participants called for more frequent, ongoing sessions, inclusion of additional age groups, and the development of similar programs for Muslim men. One suggestion was to add premenopause and menopause topics to future curricula. For policymakers, the study underscores the value of collaborating with female faith leaders to ensure evidence-based health messages align with religious values, thereby improving outreach to communities that may otherwise be missed by conventional health-communication strategies.

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