of the world’s population is in work.
Evidence & Resources
Work participation, retention and economic security
Being at work does not always mean being well—or being supported.
Women may remain at work through significant symptoms, reduce hours, change roles, lose income or leave employment. Participation measures need to capture the pathway, not only whether someone is employed.
Health, healthcare and work are connected.
Global evidence snapshot
Scale, context and equity matter.
of the global workforce works in the informal economy, often without regulatory health and safety protection.
reported being outside the labour force because of unpaid care responsibilities in the ILO’s global analysis.
What the evidence says
Start with what is established.
01
The health evidence
Health can influence labour-force participation, productivity, earnings and retention.
02
The wider context
Presenteeism can conceal substantial impairment when absence is the only measure used.
03
What matters
Employment outcomes are shaped by health, healthcare access, work design and social conditions together.
Working-life lens
The impact can appear in more than absence.
01
Capacity and participation
Reduced hours or role changes may protect health but also reduce income and progression.
02
Systems and access
Casual and insecure workers may have fewer practical options to seek care or recover.
03
Trust and disclosure
Leaving work can be the endpoint of a much longer unsupported journey.
From evidence to practice
Support begins with a respectful, individual response.
01
Listen first
Track retention, adjustments and sustainable participation—not just absence.
02
Design practical support
Design pathways that work for part-time, casual, shift and remote workers.
03
Protect dignity
Review whether policies are accessible without financial or career penalty.
Women Working Well’s research purpose
What Women Working Well is seeking to understand.
Women Working Well exists to investigate the questions that remain unseen or unanswered: what is missing from the evidence, whose experiences are under-represented, and how women’s health, healthcare, working life and life beyond work connect. These topic-specific priorities help shape the Global Women and Work Study.
01
What is missing
Comparable global sex-disaggregated health-to-work data are limited.
02
Who is under-represented
Informal work, unpaid work and caring are frequently excluded.
03
What research should connect
Longitudinal evidence is needed to show how health experiences change employment over time.
Sources and further reading
Global evidence and authoritative guidance.
These sources support the key statements on this page. Statistics are contextual, time-bound and should be read with their source definitions. Evidence from one country, occupation or health condition should not automatically be generalised to all women.
World Health Organization — Women's health →BMJ Open — Menstruation-related productivity loss →UK Government — Menopause in the workplace literature review →World Health Organization — Mental health at work →ILO — Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work →
Important: This page provides general evidence and workplace information. It is not medical, legal or employment advice and does not replace individual clinical care or professional advice.
Keep exploring
See the connected evidence picture.
Return to the Evidence & Resources Hub or explore the Global Women and Work Study.
Evidence & Resources →