A new venture called HerSay will tackle two major challenges: improving women’s bodily awareness and eliminating the gender data gap that influences product design and service delivery. Founded by Imogen Clarke, the initiative begins with educational events to help women grasp how menstrual cycles, perimenopause, and endometriosis impact daily functioning. The first session, a yoga workshop at Trinity Centre, emphasizes restoring balance. Later gatherings will explore cycle tracking, including a themed cocktail event illustrating how hormonal fluctuations affect mood, energy levels, and productivity.
Clarke explains the project’s core purpose: linking personal experiences to physical well-being. She says understanding how the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and endometriosis affect the body can improve health and work performance. She also stresses timing—critical discussions should avoid periods when premenstrual symptoms impair concentration.
Beyond education, HerSay will establish a research network where women contribute qualitative insights on products and workplace policies. Clarke points out how design frequently ignores female anatomy. For example, car seatbelts were engineered using male body measurements, leaving many women inadequately protected. Office air conditioning is often set to temperatures comfortable for men, forcing women to endure environments one to two degrees colder.
Clarke’s motivation stems from her Master’s research at the University of Bristol, where she examined societal attitudes toward menstruation. She recalls an incident in a male-dominated office where two women purchased their own bin liners for sanitary products instead of requesting a bathroom bin, revealing deep-seated stigma. She says this highlights the need for more conversations to break down stigma.
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The gender data gap also distorts healthcare. Women were historically excluded from clinical trials, leading to medication dosages based on male physiology. Many drugs prescribed to women result in overdoses because dosage guidelines were never tested on female bodies. Workplace disparities compound the issue, as women often take more sick leave or abandon jobs due to unaddressed physical demands.
Clarke says there are many things that should have been researched earlier to help women stay in work. “What I don’t think anyone wants to be seeing is women dropping out of work because of these things,” she said.
HerSay merges practical education with structural reform, seeking to reshape both personal routines and corporate practices to better support women’s needs. The initiative’s first public event, the yoga workshop, takes place at Trinity Centre and marks the launch of its broader educational program. Upcoming sessions will include specialized discussions on cycle tracking, with a cocktail event scheduled to demonstrate hormonal influences on daily functioning.
