• Covering a wide range of health issues which impact particularly on women from adolescence to old age, including developing guidance and competence for nursing staff.
• Carrying out research to advance and enhance practice.
• Being as inclusive as possible and working collaboratively with other organisations to develop national guidance and policy.
• Organising conferences to spread good practice.
• Recognising the diversity of needs and expectations associated with delivering a high quality, humanistic approach to health so as to empower women into accessing the best available health care.
• Representing the RCN's pool of professional expertise and knowledge.

Read our Women's Health Forum Charter 2025

What we are currently working on

• We are about to publish guidelines for nurses, midwives, registered nursing associate to best support women who have experienced early pregnancy loss.
• We are working on a project to develop new clinical guidance in assessing, managing and supporting patients experiencing long covid and symptoms of menopause.
• We are currently working on updating the RCN Sexual Health Education Directory, a resource originally developed in 2017.
• We are working on producing two online webinars regarding Nurses supporting women on gynaecology waiting lists.
• In collaboration with the Fertility Nursing Forum to produce a guidance that will provide fertility nurses with essential knowledge and practical guidance on educating patients about preconception care.
• We continue to review our clinical digital pages (see links below), as well as update a number of our publications.
• We continue to represent the RCN and women's health at a range of relevant national activities (see report below).

Recent activity, including publications

Download the PDFs.

• Read our Forum Annual Report 2024

This International Women’s Day event features RCN Fellows and women’s health experts discussing how nurses have led advancements in women’s health—challenging a traditionally male-dominated medical field through innovation in care, research, and education. 

This seminar provides an overview of the recent RCN publication on cervical screening for physically disabled women and autistic women, as well as an introduction to the Eve Appeal, before engaging in a discussion about how we can all help to improve access and uptake of cervical screening in primary care settings.

Discover how implementing a Women's Health Policy for the nursing and wider health and social care workforce can make a significant impact on employee wellbeing, as well as on your organisation. With the Royal College of Nursing launching their position statement on supporting women’s reproductive health at work, this is the perfect time to think about drafting or refreshing yours.

This webinar launches the new competency framework, providing an overview of its content with the input of both specialists and non-specialists working with women in prison across the UK to explore best practice in this unique clinical setting.

The RCN and its forums are invited to participate in many cross working and multidisciplinary workstreams. Below are a selection of some of the activities that members of the Women's Health Forum are involved in on your behalf.

• The Eve Appeal. The Eve Appeal is a leading gynaecological cancers charity
• All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women's Health.
• Members of the Forum are involved in the Menstrual Health Coalition.
• Harnessing the potential of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) to improve public health, generate savings, and cut waiting lists. View the consensus statement.

Clinical leadership in gynaecology is a key role in supporting Woman’s Health care in acute settings. This role is diverse, and there is a new national Matrons Network, which can help in developing this role. Find out how to access support and contact with others in this role.