#MenopauseAtWork #WomenInTheWorkplace #InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #EmployeeRetention #GenderEquity #FutureOfWork #HRLeadership

By WCorp Editorial Team

As we move further into the new year and begin to notice the promise of lighter evenings and better weather, this feels like a natural moment to pause - not to slow momentum, but to acknowledge it.

This reflection comes as we share this update from Davos, following WCorp’s participation at unDavos in partnership with Dandelion, a Snap Inc. initiative - a timely backdrop for conversations about power, progress and the future of work.

The last year brought growth, challenge, learning and recognition for WCorp - reminders that empathy, equity and curiosity move us closer to the kind of workplaces we all deserve. Taking stock allows us to recognise what worked, release what didn’t, and move forward with clarity and intention.

A Year of Progress, Reflected

Over the past year, WCorp’s work has been recognised through a number of industry awards and commendations, including Startup Innovation of the Year (Business Awards UK), Disruptor of the Year (Best Business Awards) and Women’s Leadership & Development Organisation of the Year (Global) by International Elite 100 Global Awards. For us, these trophies represent more than recognition; they are signs that organisations are prioritising women’s safety, wellbeing, and equity. Awards are not the goal. Impact is.

Each recognition reflects something bigger than WCorp alone: the leaders choosing to do things differently, the women whose experiences are finally being heard, and the workplaces beginning to rebuild their systems with care, transparency, and accountability at the centre.

This recognition matters because it reflects a broader shift. More leaders are beginning to see that creating workplaces where women can thrive is a commercial and moral imperative. Research from McKinsey & Company's 2025 Women in the Workplace report continues to show that organisations that retain women, support them through key life stages, and remove structural barriers outperform those that do not.

Yet the data also makes it clear that progress is uneven. Women remain underrepresented at almost every level of leadership, and too many still feel they have to step back or step out altogether when workplaces fail to support them.

Our Message to Execs & Businesses 

Progress does not always come from adding more initiatives. Often, it begins with gently letting go of assumptions and systems that no longer serve the people we work with.

Many workplaces still operate on systems designed for a workforce that no longer exists - or never truly did. Expectations of constant availability, unspoken tolerance of inappropriate behaviour, and silence around menopause, caregiving, fertility, or mental health continue to nudge women out of the workplace just as their experience and leadership are most needed.

Recent UK research from the CIPD shows the scale of the issue. 17% of women have considered leaving work due to menopausal symptoms, and 6% have already left their jobs for this reason. These exits represent a direct loss of expertise, continuity, and leadership potential.

Addressing menopause and other life stages at work is a leadership issue that shapes performance, progression and long‑term resilience. When organisations respond with care, clarity, and practical support, they protect the talent they have worked hard to attract.

At WCorp, moving into 2026 means supporting organisations to release what is no longer working and to replace it with structures that are humane, effective, and commercially sound - systems where women can stay, lead, and thrive.

Our Message to Women Leaders 

This time of year also invites a more personal kind of reset. Not the pressured, all‑or‑nothing reinvention that often comes with resolutions, but a quieter opportunity to notice what feels heavy, what feels hopeful, and what you want to carry forward.

A reset does not need to be big or time‑consuming. Small, grounding rituals can create just enough space to hear yourself think and reconnect with what matters. You might choose to:

• Spend ten minutes journaling what you are proud of from the last year, and what you would like to experience more of in 2026.
• Light a candle and set a simple intention for how you want to work, lead, or support others differently this year.
• Take a short walk or pause between meetings to ask yourself: “What am I ready to leave behind, and what am I ready to strengthen?”

These small, intentional moments do not fix everything. But they can shift the quality of your decisions and how you show up at work and in life. They mirror the organisational work too: letting go of what no longer serves, and choosing, with care, what to build next.

Onward, Upward and Grounded

As we move through 2026, WCorp’s focus is on deepening impact, strengthening standards, and widening the conversation about what good work truly looks like for women. Our aim is simple: more workplaces where women feel safe, supported, and able to stay and lead for the long term.

That includes continuing to certify organisations that are committed to meaningful change, growing initiatives such as Green Flag, which challenges how funds, VCs, and investors assess risk and value in women‑led businesses, and working alongside leaders who understand that equity is a driver of performance, not a distraction from it.

There is still a great deal to do, but the momentum is real. Thank you to everyone who has supported, challenged, and contributed to this journey so far. Here’s to a year of clarity, courage, and progress - built thoughtfully, and built to last.