6 August 2025
Campaign launched
EWA launched a petition calling for an independent review and rewrite of Aotearoa New Zealand’s endometriosis guidance.
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5,921 voices calling for change
Better guidance. Earlier recognition. More equitable care.
The petition called for an independent, evidence-informed review and rewrite of Aotearoa New Zealand’s endometriosis guidance, shaped by both clinical evidence and lived experience.
September 2026
Petition Update: Our Evidence Is Now on the Parliamentary Record
Our petition has now completed its consideration by Parliament’s Health Committee.
Endo Warriors Aotearoa appeared before the Health Committee on 2 September 2026, with Founder and Charity Director Yessenia Sandoval joined by lived-experience advocates Lucy Smith and Cleaver Athame.
On 23 September 2026, the Health Committee completed its consideration and published its report on endometriosis and the Petition of Endo Warriors Aotearoa.
The Committee’s report formally records many of the concerns and recommendations EWA has been raising throughout this campaign.
It records our message that:
“A political announcement is not implementation.”
It also records our concern that without properly funded pathways, people could simply move from:
“waiting for a diagnosis to waiting with a diagnosis.”
The report includes EWA’s call for:
- National diagnosis and treatment pathways with clear timelines for review and referral
- National standards for endometriosis imaging
- Genuine treatment choice
- Youth-specific, culturally safe and inclusive care
- Better national data, monitoring and accountability
- Publicly funded pelvic health physiotherapy, pain care and fertility support
- Multidisciplinary endometriosis care
- Better coordination between primary care, allied health, specialists and surgery
- Consideration of regional endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics based on elements of the Australian model
- A funded National Endometriosis Action Plan
The Committee also acknowledged the lived experiences shared by Yessenia, Lucy and Cleaver and recognised the barriers people continue to experience when seeking endometriosis care.
Importantly, the Committee stated that:
“Earlier diagnosis needs to be accompanied by appropriate treatment and support.”
It also recognised that new clinical guidance will only improve people’s experiences if healthcare practitioners are properly supported to implement it.
So, is the work finished?
No.
The petition reaching this stage is an important milestone, but it does not mean all of the changes we called for have been implemented.
The Government has announced that Health New Zealand will adapt the Australian RANZCOG endometriosis guideline for Aotearoa.
EWA welcomed that announcement, but our focus now moves firmly to implementation.
We still want answers about:
- What specific funding will be provided to implement the new guidelines
- How GP and frontline clinician education will be funded and delivered
- Access to specialist endometriosis imaging
- Publicly funded pelvic health physiotherapy and persistent pain services
- Specialist and surgical pathways
- Fertility support
- Rural and regional access
- Equity for Māori, Pacific, disabled, rainbow and other communities facing additional barriers
- How implementation will be monitored
- What national endometriosis data will be collected
- How lived experience and community organisations will continue to be involved
The petition stage may be complete. Our advocacy is not.
We will continue following the development and implementation of the new guidelines and holding decision-makers accountable for what happens next.
Read the Health Committee reportThank you, endo hāpori
The Petition Has Now Closed
Thank you to every person who signed, shared, emailed decision-makers, submitted feedback, shared their lived experience or supported this campaign.
Thousands of people added their voices to the wider campaign for better endometriosis care in Aotearoa.
Your support helped us take these concerns directly to Parliament and ensured lived experience became part of the official Parliamentary record.
This campaign has moved into its next stage: making sure new guidance leads to real change in healthcare.
Why this matters
Guidance should reflect current evidence and real lives
Too many with endometriosis experience delayed diagnosis, dismissal of symptoms, inconsistent care and major barriers to appropriate treatment and support.
National guidance influences recognition, clinical decisions, referrals and expectations of care. When guidance is unclear, outdated or not consistently implemented, care can depend on where someone lives, what they can afford and which services they can access.
The petition brought together 5,921 voices asking for clearer, more equitable guidance and meaningful recognition of the impact endometriosis can have across a person’s life.
5,921
signatures presented to Parliament.
Petition timeline
The complete confirmed progress is kept here, so the community does not need to follow a separate updates page.
12 August 2025
1,000 signatures reached
16 November 2025
5,000 signatures reached
18 November 2025
Petition closed with 5,921 signatures
22 April 2026
Presented to Parliament
The petition was formally presented to Parliament by Kahurangi Carter MP and referred to the Petitions Committee.
Read the Parliament record4 May 2026
Invited to make a written submission
EWA was formally invited to provide a written submission supporting the petition. The submission identified gaps in diagnosis, access to care and treatment consistency and called for equitable, enforceable national clinical guidance.
June 2026
Transferred to the Health Committee
The petition and supporting evidence were transferred to the parliamentary committee responsible for health matters.
18 August 2026
Government guideline announcement
The Government announced that Health New Zealand would adapt the Australian RANZCOG endometriosis guideline, with publication expected in mid-2027. EWA welcomed progress but identified unanswered questions about funding, implementation, workforce capacity, equitable access and accountability.
19 August 2026
Questions sent to Hon Nicola Grigg
EWA emailed Hon Nicola Grigg, Minister for Women, with our questions and concerns.
2 September 2026
EWA spoke to the Health Committee
Founder and Charity Director Yessenia Sandoval appeared with lived-experience advocates Lucy Smith and Cleaver Athame to present EWA’s petition, community evidence and proposed model for endometriosis care.
10 September 2026
Detailed response sent
Following the Committee appearance, EWA emailed Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall with a detailed response explaining what good endometriosis care should look like in Aotearoa.
10 September 2026
Response accepted
Dr Verrall confirmed that she had asked the Health Committee Chair to table EWA’s detailed email. EWA also received a phone call confirming that the response had been accepted. Our full response is now part of the official record.
23 September 2026
Health Committee report published
The Health Committee completed its consideration and published its report. EWA’s evidence and recommendations are now formally recorded in the Parliamentary report, and the Committee encouraged the next Health Committee to follow the publication and implementation of the new guidelines.
Read the Health Committee report5,921 voices
Our petition journey
Swipe or use the previous and next controls to move through the ten-image timeline.
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What the community is asking for
The petition and supporting submission focus on practical, system-wide change.
Independent review and rewrite
A transparent review of the 2020 guidance against current evidence and the experiences of those navigating care in Aotearoa.
Consistent pathways
Earlier recognition, clearer referral pathways, multidisciplinary support and nationally consistent, evidence-informed care.
Accountability
Stronger implementation across the health system, with lived experience included in policy and healthcare design.
Whole-body recognition
Better recognition of endometriosis as a chronic, whole-body disease rather than a condition limited to menstruation.
Equitable access
Guidance that responds to barriers faced by Māori, Pasifika, disabled and rainbow communities and upholds Te Tiriti-based equity.
Respectful, inclusive language
Language, treatment options and support pathways that reflect different bodies, identities, circumstances and care needs.
Petition FAQ
What happened next?
Question 3: What happened after the petition closed?
The petition was presented to Parliament in April 2026 and later referred to the Health Committee.
Endo Warriors Aotearoa appeared before the Health Committee on 2 September 2026 alongside lived-experience advocates Lucy Smith and Cleaver Athame.
The Committee subsequently published its report in September 2026.
The report records EWA’s concerns about implementation, funding, access, imaging, treatment choice, youth care, equity, multidisciplinary care and accountability.
The formal petition process has now reached the reporting stage, but EWA’s advocacy continues. Our focus is now on ensuring the new endometriosis guidance announced by Government is properly funded, implemented, monitored and supported by accessible healthcare pathways.
Community-led policy work
View our suggested changes and Guidelines Review
EWA has created a detailed review of the 2020 National Endometriosis Guidelines to identify what is missing and recommend urgent changes to endometriosis (mate kirikopu) care in Aotearoa.
The review was developed by Endo Warriors Aotearoa with input from our Youth Advisory Board and reviewed by a medical professional. It brings together lived experience, community knowledge and evidence-informed recommendations.
Inside the review
- A summary of where the current guidance falls short
- Suggested changes to language, treatment options and access to care
- An emphasis on inclusive, equitable and evidence-informed care
- A call to embed Te Tiriti-based equity
- Recommendations that reflect the needs of Māori, Pasifika, disabled and rainbow communities
The work continues
Placing endo hāpori at the centre
Our goal is to place the voices of the endo hāpori—our endometriosis community—at the centre of health policy.
The rewrite is being led by EWA and our Youth Advisory Board, in partnership with a national panel of experts, clinicians and lived-experience voices. Together, we are working toward guidance that is inclusive, enforceable and grounded in evidence and real-life experience.
This is community-led policy work, not a final clinical guideline. It will be strengthened through expert and community feedback.
Share your whakaaro
If you live with endometriosis, support someone who does, work in endometriosis care or the health sector, or belong to an organisation supporting affected communities, we welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions. Your insight can help ensure this kaupapa reflects the needs of the communities it is intended to serve.
Email Guidelines Review feedback