Hewlett Packard Enterprise hosted an inspiring event in celebration of International Women’s Day. The event aimed to raise awareness of women’s health issues and the impact these issues can have in the workplace as well as informing us of the excellent work carried out by the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Charity of the Year.
The event featured two incredible speakers, Dr Máire Finn and Dr Róisín Dwyer, who shared their expertise on women’s health and research into breast cancer.
Dr Finn, principal General Practitioner in Ennis since 1998, recently formalised the menopause care she has always provided by starting a specialty clinic in her surgery. This has allowed her to train and mentor other GPs in menopause. Dr Finn, spoke passionately about the intersection between women’s health and career development, highlighting the 3 Ms in a woman’s life – Menstrual cycle, Maternity, and Menopause. She emphasised the importance of open and honest conversations to reverse unconscious bias and create a more supportive environment for women in the workplace.
Dr Róisín Dwyer, an Associate Professor in Translational Science at the University of Galway, shared her groundbreaking research on cell communication in breast cancer. Her work focuses on developing novel gene therapy approaches for advanced disease, with the goal of improving treatments for patients with advanced breast cancer.
The audience, comprised of HPE employees and itag Digital Women’s Forum members, as well as support from organisers’ family members. They actively participated in the Q&A session asking insightful questions about women’s health issues and empowerment. When asked about HRT, Dr Finn stated that it is certainly beneficial for some, it is not for everyone and advised a holistic approach to women’s health, emphasising the importance of diet, exercise, social interaction and supplements, such as magnesium, omega oils and vitamin D, for overall well-being.
A woman in the audience, told us about her own mother having women’s health issues and mentioned how things were kept quiet and not to be discussed at the time. It has inspired her to be more vocal about her own health and emotions and finds meditation a great resource for calmness and serenity.
Kieran Coen wrapped up the event by urging managers and colleagues to cultivate a culture that champions open and courageous conversations. While these discussions may be inherently challenging, they should allow for an environment where everyone feels empowered to be honest about health issues that are important to them or to their work situation.
Overall, the event was a success thanks to the hard work and dedication of Catherine Carolan and Paul O’Connor and their committee. Their commitment to raising awareness and supporting women’s health is truly commendable. Here’s to a future where women’s health and empowerment are at the forefront of our conversations and actions. Thank you to all involved in making this event a memorable and impactful one.
