PreservHer in Parliament: Launching a national conversation on egg freezing

Today marks a historic moment for PreservHer - and for Australia's reproductive future.

We officially launched our education and awareness campaign in Parliament, advocating for a future where every woman has access to proactive fertility care, not just those who can afford it.

This morning, I walked through the doors of Parliament House - not as a journalist chasing a story, but as an advocate fighting for one.

For months now, I've been building PreservHer - an education and advocacy platform dedicated to demystifying egg freezing and empowering women to make informed choices about their fertility.

Today, that mission became a movement when I met with federal MPs to begin the push for a Medicare rebate or federal subsidy for elective egg freezing, particularly for women under 35.

Why now? Because Australia's fertility rate has dropped to a record low of just 1.48 births per woman.

Because thousands of women still learn too late about the realities of fertility decline.

And because our healthcare and policy framework hasn't kept up with how women live, work, love, and plan families in a modern world.

As someone who froze her eggs in her 20s - not because I wanted to delay motherhood, but because I wanted to keep the choice mine - I know how empowering, confronting, and expensive the process can be.

That's what drives me. It's what elevates this mission beyond medicine and into politics, equality, and agency.

Egg Freezing Is Not a Luxury - It's a Lifeline

Egg freezing has long been branded a kind of luxury biotech - something for high-achieving women in high-rise cities.

But the truth is much more urgent: it's the only way women today can proactively preserve their fertility - and its success depends entirely on timing and access.

But here's the problem: the best time biologically is often the worst time financially.

And so, women are left with an impossible equation:

• Freeze younger - only if you can afford it.
• Or wait too long - and pay emotionally, medically, and financially later.

That's why I started PreservHer: to close the knowledge gap, break the stigma, and push for a fairer path forward.

Why Parliament?

Because big change doesn't happen in clinic brochures or on social media - it happens in policy.

Today, I met with federal politicians who were engaged, informed, and in many cases personally connected to the challenges women face when navigating fertility.

These are leaders who recognise that this issue isn't niche - it's about the future health of our population, our economy, and the autonomy of women everywhere.

They understand that this is:

• A gender equity issue
• A productivity issue
• A demographic issue
• A healthcare issue

And for the first time, it feels like we're opening the right doors.

So, What Comes Next?

A federal budget submission.

A coalition of peak bodies.

Further meetings, more education, and a growing public movement.

Our goal? For Australia to support elective egg freezing as part of a national women's health and reproductive strategy.

If you're reading this and want to be part of the change, stay close. Follow PreservHer.

Share your egg freezing story. Lobby your MP. Speak up. Because policy doesn't only change from the top down - it changes when people speak up.

Together, we can future-proof women and shift the narrative from reactive IVF to proactive care.