Scottish government launches Scotlands first Women’s Health Plan

20th August 2021 saw the announcement of the Scottish committment to improve support and services for womens health over the next 3 years. with it’s ‘Womens Health Plan’.

The 2021-2024 Plan provides a promising framework for improving services across the full menstrual lifespan, including a focus on menopause, and so is to be applauded in its commitment towards service improvement.
The Scottish Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, Maree Todd, launched the plan, saying the evidence that women needed more information and support from the medical establishment was overwhelming.

The Guardian quotes Angeline Mwafulirwa, the founder of the African women’s network Sharpen-Her, who ‘welcomed the emphasis on creating cultural competence in terms of recognising the barriers which might deter women from seeking help.’

“The main concern for our communities is access to services, and getting information through to those women who need it,” she said. “For example, with menopause, it is not something we talk about and that impacts on how we perceive what is happening to us and whether we seek help.”'

Welsh Womens Health Campaigners Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales (FTWW) tweeted
"‘Meanwhile, in #Wales, #womenshealth remains a poor relation, with (as yet) no mention in @WelshGovernment's list of health priorities for this #Senedd. Alongside other health & equality focused charities, we will continue striving for change. ‘

At the Menopause Inclusion Collective, we support the development of this Plan that seeks to improve services for menstrual and menopausal health, but with the caveat that consideration of all those who might need the service is key to it’s meaningful implementation.

We observe that there are significants improvements to the Plan that could be made in use of gender neutral language and imagery that would be more welcoming to Non-Binary, Intersex and Transgener people. Improvments in this area may result in increased attempts from people in these groups to engage with health services.

We call for any additional initiatives emanating from the action plan to be audited for potential inequity and negative impact against marginalised groups and those with protected characteristics, by application of robust Equality Impact Assessments that seek to step outside of the statutory realm and into the moral by going that extra mile to provide excellence to all, not just the majority. We also call for an improved approach to production of inclusive resources. We are open to supporting the Womens Health Group with participation in its Equality Impact Assessment processes.

You can find full details of the plan here

#womenshealth #women #lgbtqia #health #wellness #healthcare #diversity #scotland #IncludeMyMenopause #Transgender #gender

Sarah Williams, Strategic Lead, Wales