Community Advocates for Women’s Workplace Wellness Northern Ireland 

When it comes to health, many women still navigate significant challenges at work in silence. From managing the profound changes of the menopause to balancing the emotional and physical toll of fertility treatments, women’s health in the workplace and their needs are frequently misunderstood or unsupported in corporate and community environments.

To address the critical gap in Enterprise Evolution is pleased to announce the launch of the Community Advocates for Women’s Workplace Wellness Northern Ireland. The initiative is funded by the PEACEPLUS Change Maker funding programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.

This fully funded, two-part programme is designed to empower women in small businesses and community organisations to become confident advocates for health and wellbeing within their respective workplaces.

The vital training initiative is being delivered across Northern Ireland in partnership with the Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN). For these initial launch sessions, Enterprise Evolution is particularly focused on engaging women working within the border counties to lead the way for structural workplace change.

The Reality of Womens Health in the Workplace Northern Ireland

  • Silence and Stigma: An Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) report revealed that only 40% of women felt comfortable discussing menopause symptoms at work, and even then, only in strict confidence.
  • The Policy Gap: The same ICTU research found that a staggering 99% of respondents either did not have, or did not know if they had, a formal workplace menopause policy. Implementing a clear workplace menopause policy Ireland wide is becoming a business necessity rather than an option.
  • The Cost to Business: Across the UK and Ireland, an estimated 10% of women have left their jobs entirely due to severe menopause symptoms, while others have passed up promotions or cut back their working hours.
  • Hidden Struggles: Beyond menopause, women undergoing fertility treatments often feel completely isolated, fearing that disclosing their medical journeys could negatively impact their career progression.

By failing to support women through these natural life stages, businesses lose invaluable talent, skills, and leadership capability. Read more about the social value imperative for Irish businesses to support women’s workplace wellness. 

Meet Your Trainer: Anne Marie Swift

Enterprise Evolution is pleased to confirm that these NIRWN sessions will be facilitated by Anne-Marie Swift, an expert business adviser, trainer, and coach with a deep professional commitment to women’s development.

Anne-Marie brings an extensive track record to the programme. Her background spans years in the corporate health and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as running her own successful consultancy and leading regional women in business networks. As an Associate Tutor at Edge Hill University Business School, she specialised in delivering accredited leadership and management courses to small and medium enterprises.


Anne Marie’s unique blend of corporate health expertise and business coaching ensures she understands exactly how to bridge the gap between operational commercial needs and compassionate, effective workplace support.

Programme Structure and Launch Locations

The programme is split into two components: an engaging, interactive full-day in-person workshop, followed by a flexible 60-minute online session to embed the learning. This represents an excellent opportunity for organisations seeking free courses for women NI based to upskill their staff. Participants will receive CPD points, a formal certificate, and a digital badge to display on LinkedIn or email signatures upon completion.


Registration is now open for our initial workshop locations:

Community Advocates for Women’s Workplace Wellness

Future Dates

While these initial sessions are launching now, this marks the beginning of our wider rollout with NIRWN. The programme will continue to deliver workshops in various locations across Northern Ireland over the coming months, providing further access to free courses for women NI community and business sectors.


To book your place for upcoming sessions or to follow our organisation page for instant alerts on upcoming dates and locations, please visit the official Eventbrite Page. Be sure to click ‘Follow’ to receive immediate training announcements in your local area.


Together, we can move past the taboos and build healthier, more supportive, and highly productive workplaces for everyone.