Women's Health Taskforce

A Women's Health Taskforce was established by the Department of Health to improve women’s health outcomes and experiences of healthcare in September 2019. The Taskforce was established to improve women’s health outcomes and experiences of healthcare, building on recent progress in women’s health, and following a recommendation from the Scoping Inquiry into the Cervical Check Screening Programme that women’s health issues be given more consistent, expert and committed attention.

The Taskforce provided an opportunity to draw existing and new initiatives together into a coherent women’s health programme. The Taskforce is also a forum for advancing departmental commitments under the National Strategy for Women and Girls led by Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The Taskforce has modelled “open policy making” working in a collaborative way, involving policy makers, clinicians, international partners, advocates, health experts and the voices of women through workshops, research and outreach.

The Taskforce has listened to, engaged with and worked with more than 2,000 individuals and organisations representing women across the country.

These inputs have informed the Women's Health Action Plan 2022 – 2023 and Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025 Phase 2: An Evolution in Women’s Health.

Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-2023 Progress Report

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Women’s Health Outcomes Report

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Membership

The Taskforce is co -chaired by the Director of the European Institute for Women’s Health (EIWH), Peggy Maguire, and Rachel Kenna Chief Nursing Officer in the Department Of Health with more than 30 members from all grades and divisions within the Department of Health.

Membership includes:

HSE through the National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP)
DCEDIY as lead department for the National Strategy for Women and Girls
Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP)
Institute of Public Health (IPH)
Advocacy voice of the National Women’s Council (NWC)
National Traveller Women's Forum
Spunout.ie
Merchant's Quay
The Deep End
Independent Living Movement Ireland
HIQA

Listening to women’s voices

As part of the Women's Health Action Plan 2024-2025 Phase 2: An Evolution in Women's Health, a new "Patient Voice" listening exercise, to hear from women about their experiences of our healthcare services over recent years, was conducted in April 2025.

The Women's Experiences of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum, in partnership with the National Women's Council of Ireland, consists of two workstreams.

Workstream A: Women's Experience of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum, led by the Department of Health, took place in April 2025 to hear from the general public on their experiences of the women’s health services put in place since the first Action Plan.

Workstream B: In Women’s Voices: Findings from the Forum for Women’s Experiences of Healthcare in Ireland, led by NWC conducted a number of targeted focus group sessions with members of harder to reach communities and priority groups in order to understand the unique experiences of women in all their diversity.

Reports from both these workstreams hope to be published here later in 2025

The Taskforce conducted a Radical Listening exercise to hear the voices of women about their health, to understand their perspectives on health and wellbeing, how those perspectives were shaped, and to understand the forces that shape health outcomes for women.

Led by independent researchers, over 270 women participated in these discussions from all over Ireland. Women highlight some really positive experiences but also important issues that they want to see improved in particular around information, respect, and access.

A report of the ‘radical listening’ exercise was published on Tuesday 14 September 2021.

A supplementary report looking at the experiences of marginalised women highlighted additional issues.

Women’s Health Fund

The Women’s Health Fund was established in Budget 2021 to respond to the needs of women as and when they arise. Department Of Health holdback funding of €5 million was initially allocated in 2021; Increasing to €10 million in 2022, with a further €1.2 million in New Development Funding allocated to the Women’s Health Fund in 2024. The Minister for Health holds final sign-off on projects funded under the Women’s Health Fund.

Webpage Consultation

The Taskforce aims to be open, inclusive and transparent at every stage of its work.

We asked you for your views on how girls' and women's health can be improved. Thanks for sending us more than 500 responses. A summary has been shared with the Taskforce and is provided below:

Women's Health Weekly

Each week the Taskforce will invite a range of experts to present to the Taskforce.

This forum has allowed us to hear evidence, experience and ideas from experts and advocates to help us achieve our goal. The forum has enabled discussion and debate to broaden our perspectives and insight into issues of importance to women’s health. Presenters have shared information and ideas on issues as diverse as endometriosis, women ageing with a disability and addiction services.

If you have research, evidence or perspectives on aspects of women’s health which you would be willing to share please email your name, address, and a short description of your work to womenshealthtaskforce@health.gov.ie