Words by Cheyanne Bryan
When it comes to accessing healthcare, many women have experienced times where they have had to push to be listened to.
The gender health gap negatively affects women everywhere in the world, but despite efforts to rectify this, women will often experience challenges in diagnosing and treating chronic conditions. Data from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute finds ‘Women spend 25% more of their lives in debilitating health than men’.
EveryWoman day is set to change that. Here is a rundown of the day and what it wants to achieve.
The concept is to raise awareness of some of the lesser-known women’s health conditions, which are nonetheless commonly occurring. This is quite a large umbrella because there are still taboos and embarrassment around discussing intimate details, which is why they can be both common and lesser known. In fact, most women’s health conditions are poorly understood because of a lack of research. This also means that it can be up to 10 years to get a diagnosis and even when you get that, there are often no cures, and treatment options are unsatisfactory. So, EveryWoman Day is about sharing our stories, so that other women can learn what has worked for some women, and perhaps try it for themselves.
How does EveryWoman aim to promote awareness around women's health?
It began with a striking set of images - belly selfies. These allowed women to be anonymous as they told their story, to overcome that embarrassment and still be able to share. It showed that there was a real woman telling the story. Now, you can illustrate your story any way you like, and we use the power of social media to share the awareness day and bring people back to the website where they can tell their story, and read others. This is the first year that we have hosted an event to bring awareness to it. At its core, the Womb Healing & Mandala Making workshop is about bringing women together for a time that honours the importance of self-care. Its meditative and creative elements also hold potential for women to feel more empowered about managing their own health. In the end, that’s what we all have to do because the medications and surgeries on offer may not eliminate the symptoms, so the more we feel informed and empowered, the better choices we are able to make.
Does EveryWoman Day include mental health?
Absolutely. There are many long-term women’s health conditions which are severely life-limiting and that’s not just because of the pain or particular symptoms. It’s because the impact of those physical symptoms reaches into self-image, confidence, ability to work, and relationships with family, friends and colleagues as well as partners/spouses.
What is the aim of the event? What do you want women to leave with?
We want women to feel like they are not alone, and that they are capable of making choices which support their health and quality of life, that you don’t have to be disempowered by having a condition which is difficult.
Do you have any tips and advice to women going through health issues?
Understand as much as you can about your condition and all the treatment options, and get involved in the choices. If you are fortunate enough to live in a society that offers good medical care, it’s a blessing. However, you can also have a hugely positive impact on your quality of life by understanding how lifestyle factors affect your symptoms - such what you eat and drink, how you manage your stress, what exercise you do, how you support your sleep, what your internal dialogue is like. The choices you make every day affect your symptoms, and by embracing that, you begin to feel more empowered to manage your condition, alongside your medical care. Holistic practices like Ela’s EveryWoman Day workshop help you tune into your body and find an appreciation for its ability to cope, rather than feeling like it is somehow letting you down, which is a common conception, understandably.
To get involved with the mission of EveryWoman Day, you can submit your story via a form on the website, or get in touch with someone from the team to write it for you. Sharing your story on social media is also encouraged using the hashtag #shareandinspire or #youandme.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Wellbeing Of Women. This charity aims to tackle the taboos surrounding women’s health and striving towards a better future for every woman, girl and baby. Find out more.
Sister Circle. This charity puts women’s health first by supporting women to lead healthy lives. Through service provision, advocacy and peer support. Find out more here.
Elly Charity. This is an international independent charity committed to promoting and protecting women's health through research, education and application. Support them here.
