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Why the women's health gap matters to employers
Women represent a significant and influential segment of the workforce. Nearly half (47%) of the total U.S. labor force are women1. Many employers have expanded women’s health strategies by adding point solutions and benefits focused on specific life stages (i.e., family building, menopause, caregiving). While these investments are important, they often overlook the deeper issues. Beneath the growing conversation and focus on women’s health lies a more urgent reality: women continue to experience significant disparities in access to care, diagnosis, treatment, and health outcomes.
These disparities not only impact women’s health and well-being, but also health care costs, productivity, and overall engagement within an organization. By understanding the disparities that shape women’s health experiences across the lifespan, employers can move beyond one-size-fits-all benefits and build strategies that improve health outcomes, strengthen workforce resilience, and enhance organizational performance. In fact, closing the women’s health gap adds the equivalent of seven healthy days per year per woman, and unlock $1 trillion in annual global GDP by 2040.2
Women's health disparities in prevalence, diagnosis and care
There are a multitude of health conditions that affect women disproportionately and differently from their male counterparts.
More than 80% of the 10 million Americans with Osteoporosis are women.3 Nearly 80% of autoimmune disease patients are women, and the average diagnosis takes 4.6 years.4 The prevalence of depression in women is nearly twice that of men.5 Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women, yet women are more likely to experience delayed or inaccurate diagnoses.6
While these statistics highlight differences in disease prevalence, the reality of the disparities extend much further and bring into focus a persistent pattern in which women often face unique barriers. Women aren’t simply experiencing different health conditions; they often experience worse health care journeys in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care. This contributes to poorer health experiences and outcomes over time.
Why do these disparities exist?
For decades, women’s symptoms, health concerns, and lived experiences have been underrecognized, understudied, and too often dismissed within the healthcare system. Women have been excluded due to research concerns related to pregnancy, socioeconomic barriers such as caregiving responsibilities that prevent participation, and data variability related to the relative complexity of a woman’s body in different life stages compared to men.7
Work demands, caregiving and social determinants of health
Layered on top of these clinical and representation challenges is the invisible burden of compounding work demands, caregiving, identity, and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) factors creating additional barriers to seeking timely, effective care. Awareness alone doesn’t improve outcomes. To create meaningful change, employers must shift from understanding the challenges women face to understanding what women need in their healthcare journey and how employers can help meet those needs.
What is SDOH?
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-medical factors affecting health, like socioeconomic status, geographic location, and education access and quality.8
How employers can help close the women's health gap
There is an opportunity for employers to intentionally design and educate female workers regarding benefits, policies, and support systems that provide an opportunity for women to thrive in the workplace. Every workforce is unique, but there are four themes that emerge when assessing what is most valuable for women in their healthcare and workplace experience:
The Need |
Why It Closes the Women’s Health Gap |
Actionable Considerations for Employers |
|---|---|---|
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Access |
Delays in diagnosis or misdiagnosis often starts with women struggling to reach the right provider. |
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Validation |
Women’s symptoms are frequently dismissed or under-recognized, fueling the delayed and inaccurate diagnoses cited above. Access to expert second opinions and healthcare navigation help ensure women’s concerns are heard and addressed correctly the first time. |
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Whole Person & Holistic Care |
Lightens the load and supports women dealing with the cumulative demands of caregiving, work responsibilities, household management, mental health, etc. that make it difficult for them to prioritize and follow through on their own healthcare needs. |
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Clear Communication |
Decades of underrepresentation in research left many women, and their providers, under-informed about how symptoms and conditions present differently for them. Clear, personalized communication closes that awareness gap and helps women feel seen rather than overlooked. |
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Finding gaps in your women's health strategy
Bridging the gaps in women’s health is not simply about offering more programs. It is a workforce strategy to create an environment where women feel seen, supported, and empowered to achieve their best health and best self. The next step is understanding where your own women’s health strategy has potential blind spots. The employers that identify those blind spots and close the gaps won’t just improve outcomes for women, they’ll strengthen workplace well-being, create a more inclusive and productive workplace, and attract and retain top talent.
About the author
Ashley Diaz serves as a Director of Population Health at Brown & Brown for the Southeast region. She works with employers to develop strategic data-driven approaches to improve health outcomes, reduce costs and increase workforce productivity. Ashley has over 10 years of consulting experience in workforce health and productivity. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Stetson University.