Our Commitment to You – SheKnows

Women have been breaking barriers for the health of their families and communities for generations – but rarely for ourselves. Studies show we prioritize caring for others before our own needs which can cause our health to suffer.

So it’s time for women and lived experiences to take center stage and lead the charge for change – women’s health is the new women’s movement.

And we’re here to listen to you.

We know healthcare marketing can often portray an idealized version of women; women who overcome their health challenges with ease, are unrelatable wellness role models or appear impossibly perfect. From reproductive care to mental health to pain and weight management, our health needs and experiences create a complex collage that requires proactive care.

It’s time for health on our terms. We want to see ourselves better reflected in the marketing that promises to solve our biggest health problems, and that’s our commitment to you.

What’s the alternative? A lack of real-life representation leads to real-life consequences for women around the world.

52% of women say depictions of weight are unrealistic – more so when the people viewing are gender non-conforming, plus-sized, and Gen Z. Those who report finding the portrayal of mental health to be the most negative in media and advertising are bisexual, have other sexual identities or are from neurodiverse groups.

Cardiovascular disease affects nearly 45% of women, but advertising in this space is male-dominated. Women are more likely than men to seek advice when it comes to a formal medical diagnosis – from cancer to depression – but rarely are met with the same level of resources. With female conditions, from menopause to post-partum depression, being historically minimized, women have been put off seeking the right support or community. It goes beyond the condition and into clinical care: women are underrepresented in critical medicine, equal opportunity healthcare, and clinical trial scenarios.

That’s why we’re taking action to guarantee that when it gets real in your world, it feels real in ours.

Marketing that shows real bodies and health experiences.
Marketing that shares real people and their real health stories.
Marketing that offers real solutions and new opportunities for health success.

Agency health leaders within WPP – the world’s largest marketing and communications company – are rallying the wider healthcare marketing industry to better address the complexity of women’s health in media: socially, culturally, and globally. Leaders that understand that healthcare advertising and communications on women’s terms mean being both brave and vulnerable. Championing growth and creating hope.

Together, we want to build healthcare marketing that is representative, responsive, and real.

But we also need your help – we want to hear from you. Go now to bit.ly/womenshealthsurvey_ to answer a two-minute survey to have your voice heard, and join a movement of women asking for health on her terms.

Together we can build a more inclusive approach to healthcare marketing for women. We believe it’s only when we are real with women – seeing, hearing, and supporting them – that real impact begins.

Real community.
Real connection.
Real change.

We can’t do it without you.

Signed,