Inside GLAMOUR UK's International Women's Day lunch, in partnership with Reckitt

In her opening remarks, Sam Barry said, “We are ready to fight, but powered by joy.” And this ethos was brilliantly encapsulated throughout the rest of the lunch. Adrienne Adhami spoke on the importance of “empowering yourself with knowledge” about your health. Angela Naef called for women to be represented in all places where decisions are being made, specifically in STEM: the board room, the exam table and the lab bench.

Patricia O'Hayer, Sam Barry, Angela Naef, Keyla Lazardi

Nic Ford/@nicfordphoto

Anna and Gabz, co-founders of the Menstrual Health Project, spoke powerfully about their own experiences of medical misogyny and how it's shaped their journeys. After the lunch, Anna and Gabz reflected, "We had the opportunity to share the raw realities of what it’s like living with conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

“We wanted to bring awareness to the fact there are huge disparities within women’s healthcare. This is why we both wanted to turn our pain into power and really create meaningful change by launching our charity Menstrual Health Project.

"Our charity helps support people who experience menstrual health conditions and concerns. Providing educational toolkits in a digestible format, MHP helps people access medically accurate information about menstrual health. By coming together, we will create a more positive future for women.”

Anna Cooper and Gabriella Pearson

Nic Ford/@nicfordphoto

Abi Feltham, a content creator who charts her journey with addiction, mental health, and cancer, contributed her thoughts on the pressures to be perfect within sports. “It was incredible to be part of meaningful discussions about women's health, especially around encouraging women and girls to participate in sport,” she tells GLAMOUR.

“I've always seen perfectionism as a huge barrier to getting into fitness — the fear of not being good enough or doing it wrong can be so discouraging. As women, we're already under so much pressure to be perfect, so it's important we promote the idea that not being instantly great at something doesn't mean it's not worth doing.”

See below for an exclusive sneak peek at GLAMOUR's International Women's Day lunch, sponsored by Reckitt…