Taking Action on Women's Health: Building a Future of Trust, Technology, and True Care

Under-researched, underfunded, and often misunderstood we’re acutely aware of the current and historic challenges that have faced women’s health. While we’ve made progress in raising awareness, awareness alone doesn’t save lives, close care gaps, or build systems of trust. Now is the time to move from awareness to action, action that is rooted in data, driven by women’s voices, and focused on lasting systems change. 

Beyond Awareness: Why Action Matters More 

Raising awareness of women’s health disparities has brought important issues to light, from delayed diagnoses to underrepresented conditions. But awareness is just the first step. To truly improve outcomes, we need evidence-based interventions that are built on real data and designed to meet the complex, diverse needs of women today. 

And that brings us to a critical challenge. We cannot act on what we do not measure. 

The Data Gap and the Power of Getting It Right 

Across health and care services, collecting high-quality data remains an uphill battle. Challenges like siloed systems, outdated infrastructure, and lack of interoperability are widespread. However, women’s health faces an even deeper structural gap due to a legacy of exclusion in clinical trials, insufficient research on female-specific conditions, and longstanding cultural discomfort around reproductive and hormonal issues. 

In the face of these failures, women themselves have taken the lead. 

One standout example is Hertility, a Femtech company that provides at-home hormone testing and expert guidance across fertility, menopause, and related areas. More than just offering personalised care, Hertility has built the world’s largest dataset on female reproductive health. This growing body of data is not simply archived — it is actively fuelling research and transforming how women receive care. 

Yet data, on its own, is not enough. Without trust, even the most sophisticated digital solutions can fall short. 

This is where pioneers like Amber Vodegel, founder of 28x, have stepped in with a new model of care. Her platform allows women to track their periods and symptoms with complete data privacy. Many women have experienced a sense of exploitation, with their data collected, stored, or even sold without consent or benefit. Ethical Femtech like 28x is changing that dynamic by making trust and transparency central, not optional.
 

Turning Innovation Into Systemic Change 

As we see women-led startups making remarkable progress, the natural question follows. How do we bring this innovation into national health systems like the NHS? 

The Women’s Health Strategy marked a promising step forward by recognising the need to prioritise women’s health. However, budget cuts and delayed commitments have created a sense of disillusionment. Many are left wondering whether meaningful change will ever come. 

Meanwhile, the NHS is being asked to embrace three key shifts: a transition from hospital to community-based care, from paper to digital services, and from reactive treatment to preventive care. The implications of these reforms for women’s health are not yet clear. 

But this moment presents a rare opportunity to do things differently. Digital services can be designed to integrate seamlessly into women’s everyday lives, offering accessible, evidence-based guidance. Health commissioning can evolve to reflect the diverse needs of women from all backgrounds and communities, ensuring culturally competent and stage-specific care. Most importantly, systems can be developed in collaboration with the women they serve, rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions from the top down. 

When user-led design, ethical data use, and co-created services become the norm, the result is not only a more efficient health system but one that is genuinely compassionate and equitable. 

Join Us at HETT Show Where Women’s Health Will Be Featured on the Agenda

Many of the themes explored in this blog, from ethical data use to co-designed care and inclusive innovation will be brought to life at HETT Show 2025, shaped by our all-new Women’s Health Working Group. Join us on 7–8th October at ExCeL London to hear from pioneers, explore practical solutions, and be part of the conversation driving lasting change in women’s health and beyond. 

Join us at our upcoming event, HETT Show on 7-8th October at ExCeL London to be part of the conversation. Register below.