Gender Health Inequalities in the Workplace

• Gender health inequalities describe the unfair differences in how health needs are recognised, supported, and managed across genders.
• The UK’s Equality Act 2010 makes gender a protected characteristic, meaning employers and policymakers must ensure health policies and workplace practices do not discriminate.
• The Women’s Health Strategy sets out a 10-year plan to address these issues, focusing on listening to women, improving services, tackling disparities, investing in research, and strengthening workplace support.

Gender health inequalities are the unfair differences in how people’s health needs are recognised, supported and managed across genders. These inequalities appear when some groups do not receive the same level of healthcare, workplace support or opportunities to look after their health.

To understand them properly, it is important to distinguish between sex and gender.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) defines gender as the socially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms, roles, and relationships.
• Sex refers to biological and physiological features, including chromosomes, hormone levels, and reproductive anatomy.

Both sex and gender influence how people experience health and healthcare. For example, men and women may develop the same condition, but the symptoms, treatment response, or risks can differ significantly. If these differences are not recognised, the care people receive will not meet their needs.

Gender differences in healthcare do not happen by chance. They are shaped by research gaps, systemic bias, and social attitudes. These factors create clear, measurable inequalities in how people receive care.

For decades, most medical research focused on men. Women were routinely excluded from trials until the 1990s. This meant drugs and treatments were tested primarily on male biology.

Even today, women remain underrepresented in many studies. As a result, side effects and health risks that affect women are not always recognised, and treatment guidance may not apply equally.

Several health conditions that affect only women are still poorly understood. Endometriosis, menopause and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are common examples. Women wait an average of eight years for an endometriosis diagnosis while managing severe and persistent pain during that time.

Symptoms are often dismissed as a normal part of the menstrual cycle, which delays proper assessment and treatment. Limited training and awareness among healthcare professionals contribute to these delays. In the workplace, this can mean employees continue working with unmanaged symptoms, reduced comfort and lower productivity.

Social expectations can make it difficult for people to ask for help. Men may avoid reporting stress or depression because of stereotypes about masculinity. Women may feel uncomfortable raising reproductive health concerns at work in case they are viewed as less capable. These pressures stop people from seeking support at the right time and can lead to avoidable sickness absence.

Employers who recognise these barriers can create a culture where staff feel safe to speak up and access the support they need.

Men and women can experience the same illness in different ways. Heart disease is a clear example. Women are more likely to experience fatigue, nausea or back pain, while men often report chest pain. If clinicians expect only the male symptom profile, women are more likely to be misdiagnosed or treated too late.

If these differences are not understood, employees may return to work without the correct diagnosis or support, which can affect well-being and performance.

Transgender and gender-diverse people can experience direct discrimination in healthcare. Examples include refusal of treatment, lack of specialist services or insensitive behaviour from staff. These experiences create distrust and reduce the likelihood of seeking care early.

In the workplace, this can lead to poorer long-term health outcomes, avoidable time off and reduced engagement. Employers who promote respectful, inclusive practices can help remove these barriers.

Yes, but their legal duties relate to what happens inside their own organisation.

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must ensure that their policies, decisions and workplace culture do not disadvantage people because of a protected characteristic. These include sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and others.

Gender health inequalities often intersect with these characteristics. Understanding those links helps employers recognise where risks may arise. For example:

• Sex, pregnancy and maternity can affect needs related to menopause, menstruation, pregnancy loss, fertility treatment and conditions such as prostate cancer.
• Gender reassignment can involve medical treatment, changes in documentation and the need for appropriate occupational health support.
• Race, religion or belief and sexual orientation can influence how safe people feel reporting symptoms, accessing support or raising concerns about their health.

If workplace practices make it harder for people with protected characteristics to manage their health, several forms of unlawful discrimination can occur:

• Direct discrimination: treating someone worse because of a protected characteristic.
• Indirect discrimination: applying a rule or process that puts a protected group at a clear disadvantage without a strong justification.
• Harassment: behaviour linked to a protected characteristic that creates a hostile or degrading environment.
• Victimisation: treating someone unfavourably because they raised or supported a discrimination complaint.

Employers also have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled workers. Some conditions linked to sex, pregnancy, gender reassignment or other characteristics may meet the legal definition of disability. In those cases, employers must adapt policies, working arrangements or the physical environment where it is reasonable to do so.

Employers may be at risk if:

• Overlook conditions linked to sex, pregnancy or maternity within health or absence policies.
• Offer no flexibility for time off or adjustments related to gender reassignment treatment.
• Fail to update risk assessments for pregnant workers or new mothers.
• Do not provide appropriate facilities, such as rest areas, private spaces or suitable PPE.
• Ignore gender-related factors when planning health surveillance or assessing tasks.
• Provide uniform or PPE that does not fit women properly or conflicts with religious or gender-related needs.
• Dismiss or mishandle complaints about bullying or harassment linked to health or gender.
• Have unclear routes for reporting concerns or requesting adjustments.
• Do not train managers to recognise gender health needs and uphold equality duties.

Employers are not expected to remove wider gender health inequalities in society. Their responsibility is to ensure that internal policies and day-to-day practices comply with equality and health and safety law, and that workplace decisions do not create or worsen inequalities for people with protected characteristics.

The UK’s Women’s Health Strategy is a 10-year plan designed to deliver transformational change in the way women experience healthcare. It was introduced in 2021 after widespread evidence showed that women’s concerns were not being heard, researched, or prioritised within the health system.

The strategy sets out six priorities that could make healthcare more equal and accessible.

The government’s call for evidence showed women feel they are not listened to during medical appointments, and this leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment.

The strategy responds by committing to place women’s voices at the centre of decisions about their care. In practice, this includes stronger feedback systems within the NHS and greater patient involvement in shaping services.

Women’s health hubs are being created to bring essential services into a single location. This makes it easier for women to get care for issues such as endometriosis, contraception or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) without arranging several separate appointments. With simpler access to care, women are less likely to face delayed diagnoses and treatment.

Many health professionals receive little training on issues such as menopause or menstrual health. The strategy addresses this by committing to more education for both patients and professionals. With better training, staff are less likely to dismiss symptoms, and women can make informed choices about their care.

Health outcomes are not equal across different groups of women. Ethnic minority women, women with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ women often face the greatest barriers to treatment. The strategy recognises this and includes a commitment to reduce these gaps.

The strategy calls for stronger data collection and investment in female-focused research. This could help identify early warning signs, improve diagnosis, and shape treatments that are more effective for women.

Many women report that health issues such as heavy menstrual bleeding or menopause symptoms affect their attendance and performance at work. The strategy highlights the role of employers in supporting women’s health. This includes awareness training, workplace adjustments, and policies that help employees manage health without fear of stigma or disadvantage.

The Women’s Health Strategy is a step toward closing the health gap, but it is not a complete solution. It sets out long-term priorities that could improve access to care, reduce delays in diagnosis, and ensure women’s voices are taken seriously.

These commitments show promise, but progress will take time. Many inequalities are deep-rooted and will not be resolved by policy alone. The strategy provides a framework, but its success depends on how well organisations, healthcare providers, and employers put these principles into practice.

Outside of the Women’s Health Strategy, employers still have a duty to address Gender Health Inequalities under Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) law. While the details vary by workplace, all organisations must ensure that policies and practices do not disadvantage employees based on gender.

Our Equality and Diversity Training provides this essential knowledge. It is suitable for managers, HR professionals, and staff at every level, and covers:

• Legal duties under the Equality Act 2010
• Bullying, harassment and discrimination
• Acceptable behaviours and how to challenge discrimination
• How to build and support an inclusive workplace culture

Whether or not the Women’s Health Strategy achieves all of its aims, employers can still take meaningful steps now. Providing training helps your team understand how to support gender equality in health and contribute to a fairer, more inclusive workplace.