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Health of Women and Girls SIG

The Health of Women and Girls Special Interest Group (SIG) was established in 2023 to bring together Faculty of Public Health (FPH) members and wider professionals who have a keen interest in women’s health. We will take a life-course approach to women’s and girls' health and prioritise work to tackle inequalities in women and girls' health.

We will contribute to the FPH’s focus areas for 2022-2025 and deliver our aims through: 
  • Working towards a clear business plan based on FPH members and women’s health professional priorities, and evidence of the most important women's and girls' health issues in the UK.
  • Developing partnerships through collaboration and sharing of experience and knowledge with partners (including the Sexual and Reproductive Health SIG), wider stakeholder networks and allied health organisations.
  • Championing women’s health and equity in all policy. This will include coordinating FPH responses to government and professional consultations, and identifying, promoting and collaborating on new priority areas for policy and advocacy in women’s health.   
  • Promoting evidence informed public health through providing an expert resource for members and identifying and sharing research ideas and opportunities in women’s health, thus supporting equitable access to opportunities for members. 
  • Focusing on capacity building for women’s public health
  • Measuring our progress through process outputs, including an annual report of activity to the FPH board and regular briefings for members. 

Figure reproduced from: Policy paper: Women’s Health Strategy, August 2022, published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/womens-health-strategy-for-england/womens-health-strategy-for-england 

Vision and Aims

  1. Develop partnerships: through collaboration and sharing of experience and knowledge with partners, wider stakeholder networks and allied health organisations.
  2. Champion women’s health and equity in all policy.
  3. Promote evidence informed women’s public health: through providing an expert resource for members and identifying and sharing research ideas and opportunities in women’s health.
  4. Build capacity in women’s population health.

Workplan

Activity: Communications and awareness raising through:

  1. Mapping stakeholders and current policy areas and initiatives to identify opportunities for collaboration with relevant stakeholders (e.g. RCOG, NHS maternity transformation team).
  2. Attending events, providing input into consultations and writing articles and opinion pieces on areas of relevance.

Outcome:

SIG members proactively seek to increase the influence of the women and girl’s health SIG through collaboration with partners.

The SIG coordinates FPH responses to relevant government and professional consultations.

The SIG stays up to date with topical events and developments in Women and Girl’s Health, using these opportunities to increase the visibility of Women’s Health in all areas of public health.

Target date: One year and ongoing

Named lead: Co-chairs and members

Progress to date:

  • Launch meeting was attended by stakeholders including RCOG, VCSE sector (Birth companions), DHSC, UK preconception partnership.
  • SIG worked with RSH to respond to Scottish parliament consultation on safe access zones. 

Outputs:

  • Blogs, articles and journal publications as appropriate on outcomes of joint projects.
  • SIG is represented at stakeholder meetings as appropriate e.g. Public health and prevention in Maternity – expert Reference Group NHSE.
  • FPH distinguished lecture on Maternal Health Inequalities.
  • FPH podcast episode to coincide with “What is Public Health?” campaign.

Activity: Create a network of public health professionals with a women and girl’s health interest to provide peer support and sharing of opportunities.

Outcome:

Quarterly SIG meetings with active, engaged members, including dedicated time for networking.

Quarterly newsletter sharing events and opportunities. 

Target date: One year and ongoing

Named lead: Co-chairs

Progress to date: Components of newsletter identified 

Outputs:

  • Newsletter for all stakeholders
  • Regular member meetings
  • Regular lunch and learns for all stakeholders
  • WhatsApp group for members
  • Document describing registrar placements available with a Women’s Health focus 

Activity:

  • Training and development (capacity building) on women and girl’s health.
  • Topics and content will be in line with the Women’s Health Strategy for England and the Women’s Health Plan (Scotland).

Outcome:

  • Training needs of public health professionals are identified through outreach opportunities e.g. workshops at registrar conference.
  • A series of ‘lunch and learn’ sessions are provided  across the calendar to generate interest in the SIG, attract new members and raise its profile with external stakeholders.

Target date: One year

Named lead: Co-chairs and members

Progress to date: Identified topics for initial meetings 

Outputs:

  • Planned "Lunch and Learn sessions with speakers and Q&As; dates are to be agreed. Aim for recordings to be made available on FPH website.
  • Women’s health workshop at upcoming registrar conference, mapping “Women’s health in all policies”.

Activity: 

Identify and complete specific project(s) which align with the Women’s Health Strategy.

The SIG will prioritise projects in two key areas identified from the Women’s Health Strategy and Women’s Health Plan (Scotland) by SIG members during the launch meeting:

  • Preconception care
  • Inequalities 

Outcome:

Project(s) are identified which SIG members can work on, in collaboration with external stakeholders, which contribute to forwarding the Women’s Health Strategy, and do not duplicate work and are within the capacity of members.

The completed projects will be helpful contributions to women’s health. They will also have provided benefits to those taking on the project such as learning, networking or career advancement. 

Target date: One year, dependent on project

Named lead: Co-chairs initially, then identify leads for each specific project.

Progress to date:

  • Priority areas identified
  • Key stakeholders in these priority areas identified
  • Networking and areas of interest already started, conversations ongoing

Outputs: Two specific defined projects completed in year one, disseminated via FPH website, media and stakeholder networks. 

Useful resources and links 

Upcoming meetings and events

The Health of Women and Girls SIG will next meet on Tuesday 4th June at 14:00. 

Contact 

The Health of Women and Girls SIG reports to the Faculty’s Health Services Committee.

The SIG is co-chaired by:  

  • Rebecca Best (SpR)
  • Marian Knight (Professor) 
  • Sophie Maule (SpR) 
  • Nicola Vousden (SpR) 
  • Rhiannon D'Arcy (SpR)

If you have any queries, email us at: womens.sig@gmail.com. 

We are keen to welcome members who have a passion for women's and girls' health or want to gain a better understanding. If you are interested in joining the SIG, we would love to hear from you.

Join the SIG

FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.

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