The publication of the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy 2026 marks an important and timely moment. It signals not just a policy refresh, but a much-needed shift in how women’s health is understood, prioritised and delivered.
At its heart, this renewed strategy recognises something women have been saying for years: being heard is fundamental to good healthcare.
Putting Women’s Voices at the Centre
For too long, women’s experiences have been overlooked, dismissed or misunderstood. The strategy is clear that this must change. It places women’s voices, choices and lived experiences at the centre of healthcare design and delivery, acknowledging that systems which fail to listen cannot deliver effective care.
This is not just about consultation it is about agency. Women must have real influence over decisions about their bodies, their care pathways and their health outcomes. Without this, even the most well-intentioned policies risk falling short at the point of delivery.
From Strategy to Delivery: The Real Challenge
A strategy is only as strong as its implementation. The renewed framework makes a clear commitment to move beyond rhetoric and into action embedding accountability, improving women’s experience measures, and ensuring services respond to what women actually need.
But delivery depends on more than systems change. It requires:
- Cultural change across healthcare services
- Strong partnerships and actual investment in community organisations
- Ongoing engagement with women themselves
Without these, progress risks stalling as we have seen before.
Tackling Misinformation and Building Trust
One of the growing challenges highlighted in this space is misinformation. Whether through social media, informal networks or gaps in accessible health education, many women are navigating conflicting or inaccurate information about their health.
This has real consequences:
- Delayed diagnosis
- Poor health decisions
- Increased anxiety and confusion
Addressing misinformation must therefore be a priority. This means investing in clear, accessible, trusted information and ensuring women know where to turn for reliable guidance.
The Bigger Picture: Social and Economic Realities
Health does not exist in isolation. The strategy acknowledges what many women already know from lived experience: social and economic factors shape health outcomes.
Poverty, inequality and disadvantage continue to have a profound impact on women’s health, including:
- Access to services
- Ability to prioritise health needs
- Exposure to long-term health risks
Women in the most deprived communities experience significantly poorer health outcomes and spend more of their lives in ill health. These inequalities are not incidental they are structural.
If we are serious about improving women’s health, we must address these wider determinants alongside healthcare reform.
A Moment of Opportunity
The renewed Women’s Health Strategy 2026 is very welcome and represents an opportunity to do things differently and to move from a system that often reacts too late, to one that listens early, acts decisively and centres women’s needs.
But success will depend on sustained commitment:
- To amplifying women’s voices
- To embedding agency into every level of decision-making
- To shift implementation and investment to civil society organisation closest to women in their communities
- To tackling inequality and misinformation head-on
This is not just a health issue. It is a question of fairness, dignity and equity.
Because when women’s health improves, everyone benefits families, communities and the wider economy.
Professor Maggie O’Carroll is Chief Executive of The Women’s Organisation and a recognised leader in driving innovation, policy influence, and inclusive economic development. With a career spanning academia, enterprise support, and social innovation, she brings a distinctive blend of strategic leadership and evidence-based practice to advancing women’s social and economic participation and productivity. Maggie has led the organisation’s evolution into a nationally and internationally recognised centre of excellence, delivering innovative programmes that support women in health, technology, business development, employment, and leadership. Her work is underpinned by a strong commitment to embedding equality, advancing social value, and improving outcomes in women’s health as a critical driver of economic inclusion and workforce productivity. A passionate advocate for systems change, Maggie works at the intersection of policy, practice, and research shaping agendas that address structural inequalities and unlock the full potential of women in the economy. She has played a key role in influencing regional and national strategies, ensuring that women’s entrepreneurship, health, and wellbeing are recognised as central to sustainable economic growth. As a Professor, Maggie continues to contribute to thought leadership and knowledge exchange, strengthening the evidence base around women’s enterprise, social innovation, and inclusive growth. Her leadership is defined by a focus on innovation, collaboration, and measurable impact at scale.