May report for Society Culture and Health

1 May 2020

New grants/funding

Cathy Banwell, Ginger Johnson, Kamalini Lokuge, Christine Phillips, Anna Olsen, Christine LaBond and Liana Leach have received funding from the CHM to conduct a rapid appraisal of the perceptions of ACT Healthcare workers of care delivery in the context of COVID-19.  This is part of series of parallel studies conducted in 5 sites worldwide with the aim of synthesising findings for international health agencies such as MSF.

Julie Smith contributed to the grant proposal led by Steward M, and A. Twomey, ‘Australian Budgets: Responding to Crisis’, ARC Special Research Initiative for Australian Society, History and Culture, April 2020.

Keynote and invited presentations

Keynote Smith JP, ‘Recognising the value of breastfeeding, and rebalancing costs’, Amamantar/Spanish Breastfeeding Association, 20th Anniversary Conference, 23 November 2019.

Other conference presentations

Julie Smith. Political economy of food systems and dietary change, World Public Health Nutrition Conference, Brisbane, Australia, April 2020, rapid fire.

Smith JP, ‘Best practice support for breastfeeding in workplaces and childcare Making time for breastfeeding and health at ANU’, Breastfeeding, Work and Women’s Health, September 2019.

Salmon L, Smith JP, Friel S, Resilient food systems for infants; policy for breastmilk sharing in Australia, World Public Health Nutrition Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 6B Resilient systems for infant and young child feeding. Thursday, Apr 2, 2020 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, rapid fire.

Smith JP, Gupta A, Dadhich JP, Baby milk sales in India and China: A food policy comparison, World Public Health Nutrition Conference, Brisbane, Australia, April 2020, poster.

Smith JP ‘Lost milk' - food production losses due to suboptimal breastfeeding practices, World Public Health Nutrition Conference, Brisbane, Australia, April 2020, poster

Workshops and seminars

Julie Smith organised online forum and workshop series GENDER RESPONSIVE BUDGETING AND THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING STRATEGY:

  1. ‘Progressing Australia’s policies and plans for mothers and babies in disasters and pandemics: experiences from high- and middle-income countries’, 4 May 2020, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, https://crawford.anu.edu.au/news-events/events/16471/progressing-australias-policies-and-plans-mothers-and-babies-disasters-and
  2. ‘Breastfeeding policy in 2020 and beyond – Emergency and pandemic preparedness and response planning in Australia’, 20 April 2020, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, https://taxpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/news-events/events/16419/breastfeeding-policy-2020-and-beyond-emergency-and-pandemic-preparedness
  3. ‘Gender Responsive Budgeting and Progressing Breastfeeding Policy in 2020 and Beyond – Introductory Webinar’, 6 April 2020, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, https://crawford.anu.edu.au/news-events/events/16383/gender-responsive-budgeting-and-progressing-breastfeeding-policy-2020-and

     

    Outreach and engagement

    Julie Smith Participated in University of Canberra Agenda 5050 Meeting - The Gendered Impact of COVID-19 and Unpaid Care Work, 21 April 2020

    Julie Smith participated in PHAA webinars on COVID 19, 26 March; 9 April 2020.

    Ruth Kharis gave a guest lecture on Food Security and Climate Change for the Masters of Public Health 29 April.

    Student news

    Welcome to Jennifer Ervin who has commenced her PhD this month in the Society, Culture and Health group working with Lyndall, Liana and Jimmy. Jennifer's PhD will be nested within a broader project funded by an ARC Discovery Grant, titled ‘Addressing the hour-glass ceiling: New case for action on gender equality’.  In essence, this is an interdisciplinary study, seeking to develop new methods and new evidence on the health, social and economic cost of gender inequality in employment.

    Publications

    San Too, L., Leach, L.S., & Butterworth, P. Mental health problems and internet access: Results from an Australian national household survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research – Mental Health. Accepted April 2020.

Dixon, J., Beaton-Wells, C., Paul-Taylor, J. nd. Consumer-citizens and competition policy in the era of supermarketisation. Melbourne Legal Studiers Research Paper Series No. 872, SSRN  http://ssrn.com/abstract=3550935