The 7th of April is known as World Health Day, founded by the World Health Organization (WHO), it helps to raise awareness about global health issues and promote healthier living. For World Health Day, we want to talk about a critical subject to do with global health, women’s health. We want to talk about women’s health in the workplace.
Women’s health encompasses a wide range of issues, including reproductive health, sexual health, mental health, and menopause. It is essential to ensure that all women have access to quality healthcare and information about their health so that they can live healthy and fulfilling lives. Women have specific healthcare needs, compared to their male counterparts, and despite women making up over half of the workforce in the UK, most SMEs do not understand the scale of the support and flexibility required.
Women’s Health in the Workplace
Women make up over half of the global workforce, but they continue to face unique health challenges in the workplace. They may face reproductive health issues, such as menstrual pain and complications during pregnancy, that can impact their ability to perform their job duties and live healthy lives. One of the common health issues women face in the workplace is stress. Stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including job demands, work-life balance, and interpersonal relationships. Stress can lead to several health problems, including anxiety, depression, and heart disease. Mental health is also a major concern for women in the workplace, as they may face discrimination, harassment, and other forms of gender-based violence. Studies have shown that women are more likely to experience workplace stress and burnout, which can lead to anxiety and depression.
On World Health Day, it is important to raise awareness of the health issues women face in the workplace. We need to work to create workplaces that are safe and healthy for all workers, regardless of gender. We need to provide support for women who experience health problems in the workplace, and we need to advocate for policies that will protect women’s health. There is a growing awareness of the importance of women’s health, however, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all women can live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Workplace Wellness of Women (WWOW)
The Women’s Organisation is currently working with the Department of Health and Social Care’s Health and Well Being Fund to deliver an innovative project Workplace Wellness of Women (WWOW) we believe working with women and employers will offer huge opportunities to positively transform women’s working lives. It will help employers to put in place the right type of support at the right time. This will help attract and retain more women in the workplace and measurably improve their well-being. Find out more about that here.
Informed by academic research, the government’s Women’s Health Strategy, and existing employment evidence from SMEs in England, the project will promote a social model of health support, encouraging employers to implement policy and best practices to make workplaces more equitable.
This project is vital in effecting positive change within SMEs in England, helping to break down taboos around women’s reproductive health, delivering better outcomes for women’s equality, and – fundamentally – improving business performance as a direct result.” By working together, we can make a difference in the lives of millions of women around the world.
On World Health Day, we can all take action to improve women’s health and we are looking forward to progressing this project over the coming months and working closely with partners across England to embed an awareness of women’s health needs within all SMEs.
