What's new in women's health?
Plus: ⚽️ Research on female athletes ☝️Challenging government 🫶 Wisdom from CMAT
It can feel like women’s health is always on the back burner - and whilst it’s true there is still plenty of work to be done, developments are happening more often than you might think, and some of the biggest shifts can easily slip under the radar. We’ve pulled together some of the major women’s health stories and breakthroughs from this year so far.
From menopause being reframed as a whole-body transition, to new hope in endometriosis diagnosis, growing investment in women’s heart health, and even research taking women’s health into space, the way women’s health has previously been understood is starting to shift.
In this issue of Take The Lead, we’re sharing some important stories making headlines for women.
FIFA has launched a major new project focused on female athletes’ health, covering topics including menstrual health, pregnancy and menopause. The initiative aims to tackle the long-standing lack of research into women’s bodies in sport.
We also spoke directly with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer about newly announced plans that could make the UK the first country where children cannot take, share or view nude images on their devices. The announcement follows growing concerns that progress on the issue has been too slow.
Plus, journalist Emma Barnett spoke to The Female Lead ahead of the release of her BBC documentary Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis. Watch a powerful clip of her describing endometriosis as a disease that “steals” from women, and read our full interview.
Across our social channels, we’re continuing to share the latest news, research and conversations affecting women. This week, a comment from Irish singer CMAT about body shaming particularly caught our attention.
Enjoy, share with your friends, and let us know what you think!
The Female Lead Team
We’re talking about…
⚽ FIFA launches a major project focused on female athletes’ health - FIFA has launched the Female Health and Performance Project to tackle (😉) the long-standing lack of research on women in sport.
The initiative includes 30 free online modules covering topics such as menstrual health, pregnancy, menopause, nutrition, recovery and injury prevention. It comes after research found that just 6% of sports science studies focused exclusively on women, meaning many training methods have been based on evidence gathered from men.
FIFA hopes the project will improve performance, reduce injury risk and help normalise conversations around women’s health in sport.
📱 A major move to stop children sharing nude images - The government has announced plans to make the UK the first country where children cannot take, share or view nude images on their devices.
This is not a new law yet. Tech companies including Apple and Google have been given three months to introduce or activate technology that can detect and block nude images for children. If they fail to act, the government says it will bring forward legislation, including fines for companies and potentially criminal liability for tech bosses.
The Female Lead raised concerns directly with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after former Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said progress on the issue had been too slow. A major announcement - but one many feel is long overdue.
Read the full article and interview
Inspire me…
The BBC released Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis at the beginning of June, a documentary that is believed to be the first of its kind.
Speaking to The Female Lead, journalist Emma Barnett described the disease as a “thief” that “mugs you in broad daylight... or sometimes without you even realising”.
For decades, women have been told that their symptoms were normal: pain was “just part of being a woman”, exhaustion was stress, and brain fog was expected in ageing.
In 2026, that narrative is beginning to change, and it can’t come soon enough.
Across healthcare, research, policy and public conversation, one theme has emerged again and again: women’s health is finally being recognised as more than reproductive health.
Final thought…
Irish singer CMAT has spoken out about the deep sadness, hurt and exhaustion caused by the body-shaming abuse she receives.
She described how “boring” it is “to have to keep yapping on” about it - and she’s right. Women have spent decades being asked to justify, defend and explain their bodies, while strangers feel entitled to comment on them.
At what point will women get to simply exist without their appearance becoming a topic of public debate?
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