Last week two striking reports came out.

• One: the new TNO report shows that women often hide their hormone-related complaints, such as menstrual or menopausal problems, at work.
• Two: employers have to pay more to insure female employees, because women are on average sick more often.

Individually, these are already alarming. Together, they reveal what inequality surrounding women's health will look like in 2025.

What does the TNO report say?

The report “Hormone-related health complaints in women: the impact on work” shows that:

• 1.5 million women in the Netherlands experience limitations at work due to complaints such as menstruation, pregnancy or menopause.

• Strategic concealment is the norm: women often do not mention their complaints, for fear of misunderstanding or negative consequences.

• The conversation about these topics in the workplace is still not accepted .

In other words: complaints do exist, but they often remain invisible.

More premium for women

As if that weren't enough, it emerged last week that employers are paying higher premiums to insure women. The reason? Women, on average, report sick more often.

But that's not because women are "weaker." The problem runs deeper:

• For centuries, medical research has focused primarily on the male body. As a result, many conditions in women remain unexplained or poorly treated, resulting in 80% of people with unexplained illnesses being women.

• Hormonal fluctuations such as menstruation, menopause or pregnancy also cause complaints that some women suffer severely from.
  

This not only means that women are sick more often, but also that they often come to the office even though they actually feel ill , simply because they don't dare discuss their complaints with their manager.

The result? Women pay the price with their health, employers bear the higher costs, and this can even lead to discrimination in the labor market.

What can we do?

There is work to be done on several fronts:

• Recognize : Women's health deserves more and better research.

• Normalization : There should be room on the work floor to discuss complaints.

• Equal treatment : Women should not be a financial disadvantage for employers.

• Support : Making practical aids available to women, such as menstrual and incontinence underwear. This gives women more security and freedom every day.

Conclusion

The combination of the TNO report and the higher insurance premium shows that women face structural inequality, both in healthcare and at work.

It's time to stop being silent, invest in women's health, and make the rules fairer. Because 1.5 million women in the Netherlands deserve better.