Representing HIVCA as part of the panel at the Empowering Women’s Health event, to discuss the focus groups HIVCA are facilitating; was both a privilege and a reminder of why this work is so important. It was an inspiring day, bringing together voices from across the system – health professionals, VCSE organisations, and community leaders, all committed to making real change in health and wellbeing.
We celebrated the power of partnership working, recognising that when we collaborate, we can achieve far more than we ever could alone. But we also tackled the challenges head-on. We were asked to consider what Women’s Health means to us, it is more than just reproductive care, it encompasses all aspects of health, from diagnosis and treatment to equitable access to care. Health equity isn’t just about one stage of life it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, background, or circumstances, has access to the support, treatment, and diagnosis they need. Right now, women and people assigned female at birth spend longer periods of their lives in poorer health compared to men, and that needs to change.
There is progress, conversations that were once shrouded in shame and stigma are now happening more openly. More people are recognising the impact of conditions like endometriosis, heart disease in women, and the gender gap in medical research. But awareness alone isn’t enough; we need action. The event left us with an important question: what are we going to take away, and
what are we going to do differently? Change doesn’t always have to be big and dramatic, micro-actions matter. Whether it’s normalising conversations in our workplaces about menopause, advocating for policy changes, or simply checking in n the people around us, every step counts. My micro action that I took away was to write this article, in the hope that I might get one person to think differently about Women’s Health.
When we empower each other, great things happen. Let’s keep health equity a priority, work together, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live a healthier life. Follow this link for more information about how to get involved in HIVCA
