The recent Women in Tech: Hormones in the Workplace event at Urban HQ opened up powerful and much-needed conversations around women’s health at work.
With topics ranging from PCOS and endometriosis to menopause, it served as a vital reminder that women’s health is a lifelong journey – and one that often goes unsupported in professional settings.
Invisible Conditions
Hosted by Women in Tech Belfast, the event brought together a panel of experts and advocates, including Sinead Sharkey-Steenson (Generation Women), Siobhan Kearney (Menopause NI), Hayley Scott (Pytilia), Orla Fitzsimons (VIVA Tech Talent), Elaine Donnelly (Danske Bank), and Janine Crosbie (Mintel). Their insights highlighted how many women continue to suffer in silence due to the invisible nature of many hormonal health conditions. A culture of ‘just getting on with it’ often leaves women overcompensating at work to appear capable – when in fact, better support structures would allow them to thrive.
A Progressive Approach
One standout example came from Elaine Donnelly of Danske Bank, who spoke about the bank’s progressive approach to women’s health. With clear guiding principles and engaged male allies, Danske is modelling what meaningful allyship and inclusive workplace policies can look like. Their leadership in this area reflects the growing recognition that organisations must support the whole health journey of their workforce – from menstruation through to motherhood and menopause.
This aligns closely with the work of The Nourish Consultancy, which specialises in helping employers become breastfeeding-friendly workplaces. Through tailored policy creation, manager training, return-to-work guidance, and 1:1 parental support, Nourish works with organisations to embed lasting, inclusive change that benefits both staff wellbeing and organisational success.
Supporting Womens Health Is Not A ‘Nice To Have’
Supporting women’s health is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is essential to building equitable workplaces and retaining talented female employees. Whether it’s breastfeeding, hormonal health, or broader wellbeing, the evidence is clear: inclusive policies boost satisfaction, improve retention, and contribute to a stronger, more resilient workforce.
Supporting women’s health is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is essential to building equitable workplaces and retaining talented female employees.
Events like this one are key to raising awareness and shifting the conversation – and workplace culture – with it. Women’s health deserves to be visible, supported, and embedded into the policies and practices of every forward-thinking employer.
