Gen Well: how Gen Z can help us get real about women's health

As Gen Z continues to prioritise health and wellness, it’s the perfect opportunity to finally put women’s health at the forefront

Women's health has been overlooked and undermined for too long, leaving countless women frustrated, angry, and let down. Decades of exclusion from clinical trials and poor funding for female-specific research—like menstrual cycles and the menopause—have created glaring gaps in public knowledge.

Recently there have been some breakthroughs: in January this year the UK government launched the first-ever Women’s Health Strategy for England. Its priorities include tackling menstrual problems and menopause, maternity care and birth trauma support, as well as funding research in the area.

Of course, there is still a long way to go. Beyond necessary and overdue changes in the public sector, there’s so much more that can be done to change the narrative and give women’s health the long-awaited attention it deserves - and Gen Z are at the heart of it.

The call for evidence that informed the 2024 Priorities found that of the 100,000 women who responded, 84% said that there had been instances in which they had not been listened to by healthcare professionals. While a 2024 study by the Charity Wellbeing of Women of 3,001 girls, aged 12 to 18 across the UK, found that 97% had painful periods, with 42% suffering “severe” pains and 20% left bedbound. Women are in pain, but they’re being ignored.

To support today’s young women and their health means finding the right ways to reach them – and listening to what they need. Something that has been missing for decades in the way public health, big brands, researchers and society as a whole have addressed women’s health.

Gen Z are those born roughly between 1997-2010 (currently 14- to 27-year-olds) and are a generation that is investing in their health. Gen Z (and millennials) are spending more on health and wellness than any other generations, according to McKinsey & Company. A recent survey by Instagram found that “staying healthy” was one of the top three priorities for Gen Z in 2024, a year that the survey defined as their “growth era”.

It’s important to understand that Gen Z view health and wellness in a holistic way: 76% defined it as “anything that makes you feel good”, be that rest, laughter or addressing mental, sexual or physical health, according to Amplify UK.

They’re also not afraid of reality: a recent trend has emerged on TikTok called #bedrotting, a display of ‘vegging out’ in a low maintenance, procrastinating exhibit of chill, completely rejecting any glossy and disingenuous ideas about wellness. In many ways, Covid helped spearhead this slower pace of living and broad acceptance of realism over aspiration.

For Gen Z, social media is the epicentre of their social hubs, where they get their news, information, entertainment and, subsequently, outlets for engaging with like-minded women. They’ve also shown a growing distrust in conventional doctors, in huge part because women’s needs are so routinely dismissed. The longstanding gap in education, investment and dismissive attitude towards women’s health means young people in particular are seeking online peer-to-peer advice and comfort based on shared experiences related to these issues.

They also like to build integrated hybrid (online and offline) experiences and relationships that enrich them. This is also true when it comes to their health, using wearables to monitor their health, for example, but also taking part in run clubs or online subscription-based platforms, such as Alo Moves.

Understanding all this is the key to reaching them and course correcting on women’s health. Beyond the urgently need actions of the public sector, brands have an opportunity here to show their alliance. As young people reach out online for advice around the topic, brands can position themselves to be the voices of good, educating, altering perceptions and guiding adolescent girls through a pivotal stage of their womanhood.

They can support them through community activations and marketing language which actually resonates. It’s time to shift away from generic phrases, such as “women can do everything on their period”, to demonstrating that they understand the diverse realities of women’s cycles. There is still a taboo around menstrual wellbeing, but Gen Z are ready for that narrative to change.

A great place for brands to start would be by asking themselves, “how can we better understand and support women throughout their cycle?”. This doesn’t necessarily have to be companies that sell period products: sportswear, health and nutrition, beauty and wellness brands all have a part to play here too. It might not be a comfortable experience for everyone, but it’s time to give grace and get real.