Women in Leadership Conference
Diversity, Equality, and HR Conferences
Spotlighting Women’s Health in the Workplace
Despite women constituting a significant portion of the workforce, their unique health concerns are frequently sidelined by employers.
Acknowledging this gap, the UK Government has launched a transformative 10-year Women’s Health Strategy. This landmark initiative introduces the inaugural Women’s Health Ambassador and Menopause Employment Champion, supported by a £1.97 million investment in workplace health initiatives for women.
Throughout their professional lives, women can grapple with a diverse array of health challenges. From fertility issues, IVF treatments, pregnancy, menopause, endometriosis, and menstrual health issues, the spectrum is vast. Alarmingly, breast cancer affects 1 in 7 women. Women are also disproportionately affected by stress, anxiety, and the health repercussions of violence compared to men.
A report by the British Standards Institution reveals that almost a third of women leave the workforce prematurely due to health concerns, imposing significant personal and financial burdens.
The Critical Role of Employers in Supporting Women’s Health
Our event underscored that it’s imperative for employers to proactively support female employees. This entails providing comprehensive support, offering choices, demonstrating compassion, and facilitating continued employment wherever possible. It also emphasised the importance of integrating women’s health into holistic employee health, mental health, and well-being strategies. Managers must have readily available resources, including Employee Assistance Programmes and corporate healthcare schemes.
Speaker sessions- Protecting and Supporting Women
As well as hearing from our chair, Sarah J Churchman OBE, Former Chief Inclusion & Wellbeing Officer, attendees heard from a range of inspirational and motivational speakers with keynote sessions delving into compelling business cases for prioritising women’s health in the workplace.
The discussions encompassed:
- Fostering environments that prioritise women’s health and wellbeing.
- Encouraging open dialogues about women’s health to dispel myths and misconceptions.
- Creating safe spaces for employees to discuss their health concerns and enabling staff networks to provide valuable feedback for continuous improvement.
- Ensuring senior leadership champions women’s health and adheres to legal obligations under the Equalities Act 2010 and Employment Rights Act 1996. This includes conducting risk assessments to safeguard women experiencing health conditions or pregnancy.
- Adopting crucial regulations to protect women in the workplace and making reasonable adjustments to support and retain them.
Don’t miss out on our other enlightening diversity events. Building on the insights from our Women’s Health in the Workplace event, our series of Equality, Diversity, and HR conferences delve deeper into the multifaceted world of diversity.
Shaping an Inclusive Future
Our event served as a crucial platform, drawing attention to the pressing need for a more inclusive and proactive approach to women’s health in the workplace.
As we look to the future, organisations must embed women’s health within their overarching health and wellbeing strategies.
Cultivating a culture that values and prioritises the health and wellbeing of all employees, regardless of gender, is not just beneficial—it’s essential.
We host a range of inspiring women-focused events that discuss equality for women in a multitude of settings. If you’re interested you can book below.
Featured
Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Conference
Police and Criminal Justice Conferences
