two rebel bodies paperbacks lie next to each other on a red background.

Rebel Bodies is out in paperback!

We are delighted to share that Sarah Graham’s fantastic book, Rebel Bodies: A Guide to the Gender Health Gap Revolution, is now out in paperback! You may recall that FTWW was included as a case study in what has become a must-read for anyone with an interest in intersectional female health issues, so please do spread the word!  Sarah is currently running a giveaway over on her Instagram page, but if you already have it, why not check out her top picks for Rebel readers over on Bookshop.org?

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The Welsh Fabians logo

Female health and Endometriosis: Read our blogs for The Welsh Fabians

We were delighted to be asked to write two blogs for The Welsh Fabians, part of The Fabian Society, which is an independent left-leaning think tank and a democratic membership society with over 7,000 members. They influence political and public thinking and provide a space for broad and open-minded debate. They also publish insight, analysis and opinion; conduct research and undertake major policy inquiries; convene conferences, speaker meetings and roundtables; and facilitate member debate and activism across the UK. For our first blog, In ‘The Land of Our Fathers’, is Women’s Health a Poor Relation?, we discuss female health inequalities…

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Experts call for urgent mental health support for people living with long term autoimmune diseases

A new study has highlighted the shocking mismatch of clinician and patients experiences of neurological and mental health issues in people with autoimmune rheumatological conditions. More than half of patients with auto-immune conditions experience mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, yet the majority are rarely or never asked in clinic about mental health symptoms, according to new research from the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. Read more, here. 

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Focus on Menopause: #Flushfest23 and the second All-Wales Menopause Conference

Join #FlushFest23 in Edinburgh or online on 8 and 9 September, for a festival full of menopause advice, fun, storytelling, wellbeing workshops and much more.  See the full programme and buy tickets here. We’d also like to remind you that the second All-Wales Menopause Conference takes place in November. This one is also hybrid, and will welcome renowned national and international speakers, shining a light on topics such as menopause and cardiovascular, bone, and mental health, menopause in the workplace, and the role of testosterone. FTWW is pleased to be facilitating the involvement of expert patients. Find more information and buy…

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The Llais logo

Llais: First 100 Days

Since April 2023 the people of Wales have had a new independent body to help shape health and social care services.  Llais has been set up by the Welsh Government to raise the power and influence of the voices of people living in Wales, and we regularly recommend them to members of our community who feel a struggle to be heard.  FTWW is delighted to be having regular meetings with them to discuss ‘all things women’s health’. In the meantime, you can read about their first 100 days, here.   

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Dee Dickens

Mental Health Inequalities debate in the Senedd

FTWW was pleased to support members to participate in the Advisory Group and attend the debate as audience members. The Advisory Group continues to hold the Government to account, with FTWW Trustee, Dee Dickens (pictured), quoted in a BBC report about the debate, which you can read here.

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Every Woman: A Women's Health Festival

FTWW at The Every Woman Festival

We are delighted to be speaking at the Every Woman Festival, taking place at Insole Court in Cardiff on Saturday 24th. Hosted by Julie Cornish, the event seeks to empower and support women, and those assigned female at birth, on health topics that may be difficult or considered taboo to talk about. Dee will be delivering a talk entitled ‘Endometriosis and Adenomyosis: Yes, I have tried Yoga; No, it’s not all in my head! How learning from experts by experience can improve diagnostic delay’.  Find out more and book tickets here.

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Jack Sargeant MS, Huw Irranca-Davies, John Griffiths MS and Dee Montague-Coast from FTWW

Endometriosis Action Month at The Senedd

March was one of our busiest Endometriosis Action Months yet! Engagement Officer Dee and Endometriosis UK’s Lizzie were joined by volunteers Rachel Joseph and Lowri Shepstone at a drop-in event at The Senedd for Senedd Members. The event was well attended, with so many Members keen to learn more and better support their constituents. We were delighted that Huw Irranca-Davies, Labour MS for Ogmore (pictured), followed up with a debate in the Senedd.

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An Asian woman is having a mammogram, supported by a white female medical professional

Welsh Government Publishes Women’s Health ‘Discovery Document’

As part of the Welsh Government’s work on the Women’s Health Plan, officials have released a ‘Discovery’ document, highlighting the work undertaken so far to understand the needs of women in Wales by asking what matters to them.  As co-chairs of the Women’s Health Wales Coalition, which is made up of over 80 third sector organisations, Royal colleges, clinicians, and patients, we remain concerned that co-production with patients and public is properly embedded in all work related to the Women’s Health Plan and that Coalition members’ expertise is utilised throughout. This month we met with Welsh Government officials to share these concerns…

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a collage of a photo of Dee, a white woman with purple and pink hair, the i logo, the Rebel Bodies cover, and the headline from the article.

Rebel Bodies: A guide to the gender health gap revolution

This month saw the release of Sarah Graham’s debut book, Rebel Bodies: A Guide to the Gender Health Gap Revolution – and you can read an exclusive extract in The i Paper! The extract focuses on endometriosis and includes the battle to get diagnosed by our Engagement Officer, Dee. The article also highlights the work of FTWW and others in campaigning for mandatory menstrual wellbeing education here in Wales, and our work in advising Welsh Government.  We are delighted to be included in this vital, inclusive book, and we’d like to recommend it to anyone with an interest in, or lived experience…

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FTWW Supports Social Justice

FTWW is delighted to offer support to the Welsh Government’s Social Justice portfolio, particularly at this time the Ministerial Disability Rights Taskforce.   A number of our volunteers will be on Working Groups, including Health & Wellbeing, Embedding the Social Model, and Access to Services. We are pleased to be supporting our trustee, Willow Holloway, herself a disabled woman, to take up the role of co-Chair of the Health & Wellbeing working group.  This work is particularly vital at a time when many disabled people are likely to be experiencing pronounced hardship in the face of the rising cost of living…

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UK Health Radio’s Autistic Voices welcomes Willow

FTWW Trustee, Willow Holloway, recently featured on UK Health Radio’s Autistic Voices programme, hosted by Evalynne Charmer. Willow told Evalynne about her roles with FTWW, Autistic UK, the Autistic Women’s Empowerment Project, and Disability Wales, and about her lived experience as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. Tune in here.

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an IUD (coil) lies on a blue, pink and yellow background

ITV Wales News Covers Contraception Delays

There are concerns women are at risk of unwanted pregnancies in some parts of Wales due to “significant” delays within sexual health services, as reported by ITV Wales.  FTWW told ITV News that it is “vital” that women are able to access the treatment they need “as soon as possible”. “’It’s important to realise that these devices can be used both for contraception and relief of symptoms from gynaecological health conditions. Issues like pelvic pain and heavy bleeding can have a really significant and detrimental impact on women’s lives and we know that many of those affected can find it…

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Welsh Government Publishes its Quality Statement for Women and Girls’ Health

Tuesday, 5th July saw the Welsh Government publish its Quality Statement for Women & Girls’ Health which, we’re pleased to say, very much echoes the report published in May by the #WomensHealthWales Coalition, co-chaired by FTWW and British Heart Foundation Cymru. The Welsh Government’s Quality Statement is designed to provide all 7 health boards in Wales with its expectations of what good quality health services for women and girls should look like.  Over the summer, the Welsh Government will embark on a range of engagement activities to co-produce a 10-year ‘action plan’ to achieve those expectations. We will keep you posted on how you…

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Women’s Health Plan for Wales Launched by Third Sector Coalition

A report published by a coalition of charities and health organisations, on International Day of Action for Women’s Health, says women in Wales have poorer health outcomes than men and urgent action is needed to ensure they receive equal care and treatment.  Leading the Women’s Health Wales coalition of over sixty charities, UK-wide umbrella organisations, Royal Colleges and patient representatives, British Heart Foundation BHF Cymru and Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales (FTWW) have today [Saturday 28th May 2022] published a Quality Statement which calls on Welsh Government to improve healthcare for women, girls and those assigned female at…

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Behind the Health Statistic

Adenomyosis Awareness Month: Behind the Health Statistic

FTWW Volunteer, Lara, hosts the Women’s Health Series of Cardiff University’s ‘Behind the Health Statistic’, and the second episode focuses on Adenomyosis – timely as April is Adenomyosis Awareness Month! Our Engagement Officer, Dee, shares her experiences of the condition, which occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus (endometrial tissue) grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. We’re sharing a link to Spotify, but you can find the episode – and the series – on all major podcast platforms.

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Endometriosis Nurses stand with the Health Minister and Chief Nursing Officer inside the Senedd

FTWW’s Volunteers Help to Deliver Training to Wales’s Endometriosis Nurses

  Thursday 17th and Friday 18th March proved to be incredibly exciting for FTWW, with 18 of our volunteers participating in a 2-day training event for Wales’s new endometriosis nurses.  Funded by the Welsh Government and recently appointed by every health board, the nurses will support patients with suspected and confirmed endometriosis as they navigate care between primary (GP) and secondary (gynaecologist) care. For many patients, this will involve pain management, pelvic physiotherapy, and waiting for what can be a long time to access surgery. Our volunteers were pleased to share their experiences as well as give the nurses the opportunity…

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The Senedd

EVENT: Endometriosis Care in Wales – Where Are We Now?

Endometriosis UK and Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales Endometriosis Action Month Welsh Senedd virtual panel debate REGISTER HERE Endometriosis UK and Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales invite you to join us hear our Endometriosis Action Month virtual panel debate “Endometriosis Care in Wales – Where are we now?” at 5pm on Thursday 24 March. Speakers include: Jenny Rathbone MS, Chair of the Cross Party Group on Women’s Health Rebecca Taylor, Policy Manager, Endometriosis UK Debbie Shaffer, Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales Jenny Shaw, Endometriosis Clinical Nurse Specialist, Swansea Bay University Health Board Beth Hales,…

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Beth Hales, FTWW Volunteer, presents the petition to Jenny Rathbone and a number of MSes.

Petition to Improve Endometriosis Healthcare in Wales Delivered to The Senedd

Calls for urgent action on waiting lists, more specialist staff and an end to the postcode lottery impacting endometriosis patients across Wales. Support from Sian Harries, Amelia Womack, Jenny Rathbone MS, and patient-led women’s health charity Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales. A petition calling for Welsh Government to Improve Endometriosis Healthcare in Wales was handed in to Jenny Rathbone MS, Chair of the Women’s Health Cross Party Group, at the Senedd today (Wednesday 2nd February 2022). The charity Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales (FTWW) is warning that care for Welsh patients is in crisis and needs…

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