Campaigners disappointed after women's health role axed from government

Soon after the election on May 7^th First Minister, John Swinney, appointed his new cabinet, but many campaigners and women alike were disappointed to see the loss of a dedicated women’s health brief, previously held by Jenni Minto MSP. After the post-election cabinet reshuffle, the portfolio is now under a wider ministerial brief in public health, led by Maree Todd MSP. 

Arguably, concerns are justified. According to the Scottish Government’s own statistics, women frequently fall victim to the impact of health inequalities. Women in Scotland’s most deprived communities are less likely to attend cervical and breast screening appointments, while abortion rates are twice as high among women in the most deprived areas compared with those in the most affluent areas.

Women’s health campaigner, Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, believes that this inequality could rise if the First Minister does not reinstate the brief.

“We need someone who is going to be fighting our corner and at the minute that is not going to happen,” she said.

The 56-year-old from Tayport, Fife began her career as a journalist, working with publications such as ‘Hello!’, The Week and Good Housekeeping, before becoming the first female night editor of The Scotsman. 

Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, women's health campaigner and freelance journalist holding the first menopause awareness poster written in Scottish Gaelic. (Contributed)

Carr-Ellis also believes that there will be a lack of accountability within the Scottish Government for women’s health. She said: “No one is accountable for women’s health now; you can’t have a women’s health plan and then cut the women’s health brief.  That does not make any sense.”

She also warns of the rise of ‘incel’ culture on social media and the conduct of young men towards older women online.

“They believe that women should be young and fertile; you see that all the time on social media. I’m frequently called barren online. You are no longer seen of being valuable to society because you can’t have children.”

So-called ‘incel culture’ has skyrocketed over the last decade, with prominent social media influencers like Andrew Tate, actively belittling women and their experiences to online audiences of millions of predominantly young men.

She believes that there should be improved primary education on periods, menopause and other women specific health matters to tackle stigma.

“Menopause isn’t a women’s issue, it’s a societal issue,” she said.

“I know of a girl who started her period at 14. She was 15 when they stopped. She was 15 when she went through the menopause. People don’t realise it can happen at any time.”

She also spoke candidly over the mental health issues she experienced while menopausal. Carr-Ellis said: “I had the most horrendous mood swings. I did not think that my life was worth living at times.

“I used to go to the River Thames and stand and wonder how much it would hurt if I threw myself in.”

According to recent meta-analysis of 1.1million women, conducted in early 2026 by researching psychiatrist, Bandita Abhijita, nearly one in three women will experience “significant depressive, anxiety, or insomnia symptoms during menopause.”

And according to Wellbeing of Women, 62% of women who experience period pain describe it as severe, while nearly one in four describe it as very severe.

Cara Bogucki sadly shares in this experience. The 18-year-old from Fife was forced to miss schooling and seeing friends and family because of physical and mental health symptoms caused by her period.

“I started my period in S1 and they were fine,” she said.

“I got to around 14 or 15 and they started getting really, really, bad. They were heavy and would last for longer than a week. I had excruciating pain in my stomach; it was a stabbing pain.”

"It got to the point where I was lying in bed and could not move."

Cara’s period began to have a detrimental effect on her daily life. She said: “It got to the point where I was lying in bed and I could not move. I was leaving school early and skipping school also because of it.”

It also brought with it physical symptoms that further debilitated her ability to leave the house.

“I was being sick from the pain,” she said.

“That went on for a while. I was being sick every time I was on my period. I went to the doctor, and they didn’t give me anything for it. Eventually they gave me birth control which has helped but sometimes I still get cramps.”

Cara also spoke about the mental health effects that her periods caused. She said: “I was ‘evil’ when I was on my period. It boosted my anxiety a lot. I would have panic attacks when I was on it. It puts you in a dark hole; you are sat there in pain, and you can’t get out of it.”

She believes that the NHS should do more when it comes to supporting women in her situation.

“There should be something in place within the health system to support women who get bad periods, so they don’t have to leave work or education,” she said.

“I fell behind quite a bit at school. I would rather be able to manage my periods and go on with my everyday life rather than skip work and school.”

Cara raised concerns over how seriously the government is taking periods and the side-effects that can be caused by them. She said: “You hear things about free period products in public places but half of them don’t have them. I think it would be taken more seriously if men had them.”

Talking about schooling, Cara shared a similar view with Elizabeth Carr-Ellis when it came to education on the menopause.

“Watching someone transition into menopause, there is not a lot of support in place and people aren’t educated enough,” she said.

“Seeing someone close to me go through menopause, it is not what I thought it would be.”

She also expressed anger at the First Minister’s decision to remove the women’s health ministerial post from the Scottish Government.

She said: “I don’t really understand it because women’s health is so different to men’s health. I think having one is more beneficial than not.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Minister for Public Health, Maree Todd, has ministerial responsibility for women’s health. Ms Todd looks forward to progressing the Women’s Health Plan and delivering on this vital issue.”