News item | 04-02-2026 | 6:30 PM
During the Women’s Health working conference, State Secretary Judith Tielen (VWS) was the first of the twelve signatories to sign the agreement. “Working together for better women’s health”. More than 200 professionals were present at the conference of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and ZonMw. Medical specialists, professionals from the social domain, companies, occupational health and safety doctors and professional associations speak out for a joint and active commitment to better health and care for all women and girls in the Netherlands. The Women’s Health Working Agenda contributes to this with actions in the areas of medical care, prevention, sports, mental health and innovation.
State Secretary Tielen: ‘Women’s health requires different diagnostics, different treatment and different medication. I would like women to live as long in good health as men. Society as a whole has a role to play in this. That is why it is so fantastic that today around 200 parties are not only paying attention to this subject, but are also determining what they themselves can contribute.
Chairman Jet Bussemaker: ‘Half of the population consists of women. That’s not a group. It should be self-evident to provide a structural and appropriate response to their care needs.’
ZonMw chairman Arfan Ikram: ‘ZonMw has been working on women’s health since 2012 and would like to continue working with field parties on much-needed knowledge development. Men and women are equal, but not identical.’
Complaints missed too often
Women suffer much longer with misunderstood or underestimated complaints than the average man. This may involve problems related to menstruation, pelvic floor problems or mental health. Late or incorrect diagnoses lead to personal suffering and social costs, through higher healthcare expenditure, absenteeism and less participation. Faster recognition and appropriate care are estimated to yield at least €7.6 billion in benefits annually, previous evidence shows research.
From strategy to action
The working conference is the start of the National Working Agenda on Women’s Health, which results from National Strategy 25-30. The strategy emphasizes that women’s health extends beyond healthcare alone. It concerns physical, mental and social health, at all stages of life. With the Work Agenda, the government and involved parties want to translate this vision into concrete actions and clear ambitions for a healthy future for women in the Netherlands.
Broad coalition of signatories
With the agreement, the parties agree to permanently put women’s health on the agenda, strengthen existing initiatives, share knowledge and data and start new actions together. These agreements will be bundled in one joint Work Agenda, which will be published this spring. The first organizations signed the agreement during the Working Conference, together with a specific promise about their own contribution. It is expected that various organizations will follow this example in the coming months, in the run-up to the Work Agenda.
See link for more information about the agreement.
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