Taking Action Starts Within: Why We’re Putting Women’s Health First on IWD 2025
This International Women’s Day 2025, intO is taking action from the inside out. We gave every female team member time off and a budget for a preventative health screening—a step that reflects a wider issue: across the world, Women’s health remains underfunded, under-researched, and undervalued. On IWD 2025, we ask: Which organisations are closing the gender health gap? And how can you support them today?
This International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, one of the most meaningful ways we can #AccelerateAction for gender equality is by supporting the supporters—the organisations, researchers, and grassroots movements working to close the global women’s health gap.
At intO, we wanted to honour this commitment in a tangible way. This year, we gave every female member of our team time off and a budget to book a preventative women’s health screening—whether that was a mammogram, breast ultrasound, genetic testing for breast cancer, or a general women’s health check.
This initiative wasn’t just about demonstrating care for our team—it was about raising awareness of a broader issue. Across the world, even in countries with advanced healthcare systems, women deprioritise their own health due to cost, time constraints, or a lack of awareness. By actively encouraging these appointments, we aimed to highlight the systemic issue of neglected women’s health needs while taking direct action within our own sphere of influence.
And why did we offer this to our female team members specifically? Because women’s health remains systemically underfunded, under-researched, and undervalued across the world. The inequities in access to healthcare are stark—and that’s why we’re using International Women’s Day to reflect on the role that businesses, including our own, can play in helping to close these gaps.
The Gender Health Gap: Why Women’s Health Needs Urgent Action
The disparities in women’s healthcare are not just a social issue—they have profound economic consequences. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) and McKinsey Health Institute, closing the women’s health gap could add $1 trillion to the global economy annually by 2040 (McKinsey).
But today, the reality is deeply concerning:
Women are diagnosed later than men for many conditions. A study in Denmark found that women receive cancer diagnoses 2.5 years later and diabetes diagnoses 4.5 years later than men (WEF).
Pain bias in healthcare is widespread. Women are 10% less likely to have their pain assessed in emergency rooms and wait 30 minutes longer to see a doctor (WEF).
Medical research has historically excluded women, meaning many conditions affecting women are poorly understood and underfunded. Only 10% of clinical trials for ischemic heart disease and migraines report sex-specific data (WEF).
Mental health burdens fall disproportionately on women. Globally, health loss due to depressive disorders is over a third higher among females than males (Health Data).
The gap is even greater in low-resource countries. While 54% of the global women’s health burden occurs in low- and middle-income countries, only 23% of clinical trials focus on these regions (Economic Times).
These inequities persist not because solutions don’t exist, but because systemic barriers prevent action at scale. That’s why we’re turning our attention to the organisations working to drive real change—both at a global level and on the ground.
Supporting the Supporters – Who Is Leading Change?
Global Initiatives Driving Systemic Change
In 2024, the World Economic Forum launched the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, an initiative designed to reshape how women’s health is funded and prioritised globally (WEF).
Alongside this, the Women’s Health Impact Tracking (WHIT) platform was introduced to track health gaps across nine key conditions in 15 countries, helping researchers and policymakers make more informed decisions (WEF).
The WEF and McKinsey Health Institute also outlined a Blueprint for Action to close the gender health gap, calling for:
Better data collection to expose and address disparities
More investment in female-specific research
Clinical guidelines that reflect sex-based differences
Equitable healthcare access for marginalised women
Greater funding for innovative women’s health solutions (McKinsey)
These initiatives are essential—but change doesn’t only happen at the top.
Grassroots Action: The Work Happening on the Ground
During a recent visit to Ghana, I had the privilege of getting to know the Lamisi Fata Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on girl child development, menstrual health advocacy, and access to basic education.
This type of community-led work is vital—not only addressing immediate healthcare needs, but also educating and empowering young women to advocate for their own well-being.
Organisations like this rarely receive the same level of visibility or funding as larger initiatives, but their impact is profound.
If we want to truly accelerate action, we must recognise and support grassroots efforts that are changing lives in tangible ways.
intO’s Commitment: Supporting Women’s Health From the Inside Out
At intO, we believe that equity isn’t just something we research—it’s something we live by.
Funding preventative health screenings for intO’s women team members is a small step, but we also recognise that businesses have an opportunity to drive progress. Where there is profit, there can be investment—not just in growth but in the well-being of the people who make that growth possible. I feel grateful that the business is in a position to take this step, and I hope to see more organisations embedding tangible support for women’s health in their workplaces.
Closing Reflections – A Shared Responsibility
As we mark International Women’s Day 2025, we recognise that accelerating action for gender equality in health isn’t the work of one organisation alone—it’s a collective effort.
From global initiatives driving systemic change to grassroots organisations creating impact on the ground, every effort matters. And the real progress happens when we all step forward to support the supporters.
So, as you reflect on this year’s IWD theme, consider this: 💡 Which organisations in your community are working to close the gender health gap? 💡 What small steps can you take today to help them continue their vital work?
Because when we accelerate action together, the impact is exponential.
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