Larissa Burke - Senior Advisor Gender Equality, Disability & Social Inclusion, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

For International Women’s Day 2025, Women in Global Health-Australia is presenting a series of profiles of three notable women in Australia who have made an impact in elevating women in the health and medical sphere nationally and across the region.

We interviewed Larissa Burke, Senior Advisor (Gender Equality, Disability & Social Inclusion) in the Global Health Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

What is your role now and what was your journey to work in the intersection of gender and health?

I currently work as the gender equality, disability, and social inclusion advisor and First Nations focal point for DFAT’s Global Health Division.

I spent the early years of my career working as a physiotherapist in a range of settings, predominantly in low socioeconomic areas where broader determinants of health were at play and where our influence as clinicians working at an individual level was limited. I quickly became interested in the social determinants of health and immersed myself in further public health studies. From there, I spent several years in the Pacific working in the education system as an allied health professional supporting inclusive education. The context, work and people had me hooked, and on my return to Australia, I balanced clinical work with further study in global health and work with an international NGO focused on disability inclusion. Over subsequent years, I transitioned to working full-time in international development, focused on gender equality and disability inclusion. Now, I get to combine my clinical training and passions, work on equity and inclusion in the health sector, and seek to improve health outcomes for all.

What is your favourite thing about what you do?

Moving from the Australian health sector into international development and global health can be challenging. I often get people reaching out, trying to make the same transition. Some of the strategies I found helpful were to take volunteer assignments in the region and immerse myself in the local context, to study a Masters of International Public Health to broaden and deepen my understanding of health systems and global health and most importantly, to build networks with others working in development. These connections were often with other women who had made the journey before me and played a pivotal role in supporting my journey.

What gaps do you see with regard to your work in gender health and women in health broadly?

Women’s health remains under-researched and misunderstood. Data and evidence that allow us to understand access remains limited. Barriers influence access to health services, and gender bias in the health system affects the quality of services women receive. And there are, of course, inequalities within the health workforce itself.  Women comprise 67% of the health and care workforce but are underrepresented in health leadership positions. They face barriers in career progression, experience gender pay gaps and can be subject to harassment and abuse. But we can’t forget our progress and the importance of sustaining hard-fought gains on gender equality in health.   

What are your dreams about women in global health in general?

That women working in health are provided the same opportunity and support to succeed professionally and are represented equally and engage meaningfully in global, regional and national leadership positions. Women working in health care should be free from harassment, abuse and discrimination. Women, in all their diversity, are able to access the health services they need, including gender specific health services, without facing barriers.

How can we encourage others to pursue a career in gender-related health?

I think all those working in health – from frontline health workers to public health practitioners to health researchers to epidemiologists – can integrate gender-related considerations into their work. It doesn’t require a career change to support progress on gender equality in health. But to those who are interested in pursuing a career in gender-related health, I would say that we need more people who can progress this agenda across a broad range of health issues and health system building blocks. Supporting health programs to be more gender-responsive and ensuring no one is left behind will improve health outcomes for all.