We are pleased to announce that Body Talk Live Women will take place on 23 January 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Belfast (Milltown Rd, BT8 7XP). This event is designed for organisations that recognise women’s health is not a niche side‑issue but a business‑critical component of inclusive workplace wellbeing.

Why This Year matters for Women’s Health at Work

Over recent years, the landscape of women’s health in the UK workplace has revealed persistent gaps and fresh urgency.

1. Women’s health and work: a growing disconnect

• A briefing from the Society of Occupational Medicine noted that although women live longer than men on average, their healthy working life may be shorter: women in work at age 50 can expect 8.3 healthy working years, compared to 10.9 for men.

• Data for 2022 show that approximately 918,000 women (5.8%) reported that their health had been made worse by work, compared with 778,000 men (4.7%).

• The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) reported that long‑term sickness absence for women in the workplace has reached nearly 35 %, overtaking men, with an estimated 1.5 million women off work due to ill‑health.

These data underscore t

hat women’s health issues in the workplace are both real and systemic — not simply individual matters.

2. Specific life‑stage and gender‑specific health issues

• The UK’s Government’s women’s health research indicates that conditions such as gynaecological disorders, fertility issues, menstrual health, menopause and workplace health are priorities in the women’s health strategy.

• Menopause in particular emerges as a workplace challenge: one review found that up to 63 % of women in the UK report their working life has been negatively affected by menopausal symptoms.

• Moreover, workplace research finds that women are nearly two‑thirds more likely than men to feel unsupported with health issues at work. One survey found 62 % of women versus men felt unsupported, and 60 % of women believed their health issues weren’t taken seriously by employers.

3. Employer provision and institutional gaps

• Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and others shows that only 46 % of organisations include menopause support in their wellbeing activity; fewer still offer support for pregnancy loss (37 %), fertility issues (26 %) or menstrual health (18 %).

• The gap bet

• ween need and provision suggests a missed opportunity: women’s health issues not only affect individuals but can influence retention, performance, absences and organisational costs.

4. Business case for action

• Poor employee mental health in the UK is estimated to cost employers between £42 billion and £45 billion annually through sickness absence, presenteeism and turnover.

• While this figure is not women‑specific, we know women are disproportionately affected in many of the health domains above, such as reproductive health and menopause, so the potential impact of targeted workplace support is substantial.

• A strong women’s health strategy is aligned with good practice in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, as well as being a risk‑mitigation measure for organisations.

What Body Talk Live Women 2026 Will Offer

Informed by these systemic issues, the event is built to equip organisations with knowledge, strategies and peer networks to embed women’s health into workplace wellbeing.

• Sessions on mental health, gut health, hormone balance, gynaecology, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, capturing key life‑stages women face in their careers.

• Live Q&A clinics and practical demonstrations (e.g., fitness, pelvic health), recognising that knowledge without application has limited impact.

• Networking and exhibition zone: enabling HR leads, wellbeing champions and business units to discover relevant solutions and share practice.

• A focus on the organisational role: not just what women can do for themselves, but what employers can and should do to support them.

Why Your Organisation Should Attend

• You will gain evidence‑based insight into where women’s health intersects with work.

• You’ll identify practical levers (policy, culture, health provision) to support female talent and inclusive wellness.

• You’ll connect with a community

•  of organisations focused on action, not just intention.

• You’ll send a clear signal to your workforce: you take women’s health seriously.

Event Snapshot

• Date: 23 January 2026

• Time: 8:30 am–5:00 pm

• Venue: Crowne Plaza Belfast, 117 Milltown Rd, Belfast BT8 7XP

• Ticket: Early bird £129 + VAT (available until 31 October 2025) – discounts for corporate/group bookings.

Women’s health in the workplace is shifting from the fringe to the centre of organisational wellbeing. The evidence shows clear gaps in support, real costs to business and employees, and an imperative for action. Body Talk Live Women 2026 provides a timely opportunity to move from awareness to implementation.

We invite you to join us, bring your team, and help create a workplace where women’s health matters… in practice, not just in promise.