65% of employers taking action on women’s health at work but progress remains fragmented – research

Sixty five per cent of employers are advancing women’s health at work, but progress remains fragmented across sectors, a new report has revealed.

The findings come from the [w]Health Employer Index, a benchmark assessing how organisations embed women’s health into workforce strategy, leadership and operations.

The analysis was developed by global consultancy Kearney with the UNFPA-led Equity 2030 Alliance and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.

Paula Bellostas Muguerza, partner and global healthcare and life sciences lead at Kearney, said: “Too many organisations are still treating women’s health as a side conversation, despite its direct impact on productivity.

“Employers cannot afford to ignore the reality that millions of women are navigating health challenges that affect their experience at work every single day.

“The companies making real progress are embedding women’s health into the DNA of workforce strategy, building stronger cultures, retaining critical talent, and creating healthier, higher-performing workforces.”

Financial services ranked highest, with 77 per cent of organisations demonstrating mature action on women’s health.

Consumer and retail followed at 71 per cent, while energy and process industries ranked lowest at 58 per cent.

Healthcare and life sciences also lagged in areas including data accountability, communication and inclusive culture, despite being closely linked to health innovation.

Across sectors, employers performed strongest in benefits, wellbeing investment and advocacy.

However, the report found weaker performance in education, communication and employee voice.

Only 51 per cent of organisations provide robust sex- and gender-specific education and training.

Just 54 per cent systematically monitor women’s health initiatives and collect gender-specific employee data to shape workplace policies and improvements.

Gender-specific employee data means information broken down by sex or gender so organisations can assess whether different groups are being supported fairly.

The findings suggest many organisations still approach women’s health through isolated initiatives, such as maternity or reproductive benefits, rather than embedding it into workforce design, leadership accountability and long-term business strategy.

Kearney has also joined UNFPA’s Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business, a multistakeholder network of employers, entrepreneurs and leaders advocating for increased investment in sexual and reproductive health and rights policies in the workplace.

Mariarosa Cutillo, UNFPA private sector and civil society branch chief, said: “Women spend more than 40 per cent of their reproductive years in the workplace, making their health a critical factor for their participation in the workforce.

Private sector investment in sexual and reproductive health and rights, from menstrual health to parental leave, is a proven catalyst for reducing absenteeism and boosting productivity.”

The index said the next phase of progress requires a shift from awareness to accountability.

It highlighted three priorities: embedding women’s health into workforce design, strengthening gender-disaggregated data and key performance indicators, and aligning access, investment and incentives across the workforce.

Key performance indicators, or KPIs, are measurable targets used to assess whether an organisation is making progress.