Signals

UK – In recognition of Menopause Awareness Month, Agora Health, a women’s wellness brand founded by a mother-daughter duo, hosted an expert panel at Ember Locke in Kensington, London. The event aimed to provide accredited guidance on women’s hormonal health, featuring general practitioner Dr Theshanka Amarasinghe, obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Nicola Adana Okeahialam, psychotherapist Stephanie Queen, women’s fitness coach Rachele Louise and nutritionist Stephanie Smith.

The panel discussed the significant gender health gap in the UK, revealing that one in four women feel that their pain is not taken seriously (source: Gender Pain Gap Index Report by Nurofen). Chronic pain is a common experience for women, who typically have 450 periods over their lifetime, with 75% suffering from premenstrual symptoms. More severe conditions, such as endometriosis (affecting one in 10 women), fibroids (affecting two in three), and PCOS (affecting one in 10), further highlight the widespread lack of understanding, treatment and prevention, which leads to ongoing suffering for many women.

This underscores the urgent need for systemic change, especially given that absenteeism from work due to heavy periods, endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts costs the UK economy nearly £11bn ($14bn, €13bn) annually, according to a report by the NHS Confederation, Create Health Foundation and London Economics. Research suggests that an additional £1 ($1.3, €1.2) invested per woman in obstetrics and gynaecology services could yield a £319m ($417m, €381m) return to the economy.

The panel outlined key goals for the next 5–10 years, advocating for the integration of women’s health at schools. This includes incorporating female-focused nutrition into food education and promoting cycle-conscious fitness in physical education. They emphasised the importance of women trusting their intuition through a deeper understanding of their bodies. Addressing research gaps for women and ethnic minorities, alongside leveraging technology such as wearable devices to recognise bodily patterns and interpret symptoms, could significantly enhance this understanding.

Our Innovation Debrief 2024–2025 highlights how brands are also investing in science-backed technological solutions in commercial settings. For instance, the EmSella device, from aesthetic clinic Therapie, uses electromagnetic energy to stimulate the pelvic floor and restore bladder control, exemplifying how technology can support women's health, particularly in the postpartum period.

Our full interview with Agora Health will be available soon in our Viewpoints section. 

UK – Research indicates that young British women aged 18–30 are significantly hindered in their careers compared to their male counterparts and are facing a ‘sticky floor’ that traps them in low-paying jobs. A survey of around 5,000 young people highlights a troubling financial divide: 41% of young women report their financial situation has worsened in the past year, while only 27% of young men feel the same. Additionally, 55% of young women feel dread about their finances, compared to 43% of young men.

Claire Reindorp, CEO of Young Women’s Trust, told The Guardian: ‘The cost of living crisis hasn’t gone away… it’s biting down on them very hard.’ The report also notes that systems failing to provide affordable childcare disproportionately affect women’s ability to compete in the workforce. 

In our FemFin: Female-forward Finance report, in partnership with Allied Irish Banks (AIB), we analyse how women are pioneering a financial system change – global banks and financial service providers should take note.