United by a passion for improving women’s experiences

• Written by: Candice McKenzie and Kirsty Clarke —
• Published: 26th January 2026

The ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.

My name is Candice, and I have lived with endometriosis for most of my adult life. Like many others, my journey to diagnosis was long and difficult, with dismissal, misdiagnosis and years waiting for answers. Recognising the need for change, I founded Endo Warriors West Lothian, a peer-support and advocacy group that now supports over a thousand people affected by endometriosis.  For that reason it was vitally important to join the Women’s Health Plan Phase 2 development work as part of the Lived Experience Stakeholder Group, to give a voice to those unheard.

I was proud to join one of the first sub-groups dedicated to ensuring that women’s real-life experiences informed the direction of the first phase of the Plan, and now contributing to Phase 2 with our Group Leader Kirsty Clarke is welcomed. The experience has been a privilege and a powerful reminder that policies are most effective when they are shaped by those directly affected.

I’m Kirsty Clarke, I have suffered with endometriosis since the age of 11 as have many generations of my family, including my daughter. I’ve had many surgeries, with very little improvement.  This is why it was so important to me to have an involvement in the Women’s Health Plan and the Lived Experience Group.  For all the young women who do not have their say, who go unheard, and for all of our members of Endo Warriors. 

The in-person development days give us a chance to meet with different women and different groups which we otherwise may not had the chance to meet.  It allowed for collaboration and to look at the Women’s Health Plan from a different direction.  We discussed the impact across so many different communities, with a range of issues which we simply would not have considered previously.  The impact of poverty and the cost-of-living crisis in women’s health is alarming.  There are still huge disparities in both length and quality of life based upon where you live and your household earnings. Also the challenges of age, and the prevalence of conditions like Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and heart disease in women.  It is heartening to see the passion the people representing these groups bring to the development days, and that passion unites us all and really is at the heart of the Women’s Health Plan.

The continued inclusion of lived experience in policy design is essential if we are to close the gaps that persist across women’s health services. Listening to those who have navigated these systems provides valuable insight into where improvements are needed – from timely diagnosis and effective treatment pathways to compassionate, person-centred care.

There is no doubt that progress has been made but there is still so much more to do and our hopes for the future of this plan are that we will start to see meaningful action, resulting in meaningful change! 

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