The results of a first-of-its-kind survey in the Maritimes paint a bleak picture of women censoring their health concerns amid a pattern of dismissal and bias within the health-care system.
The IWK Foundation launched the survey earlier this year in the hopes of better understanding women’s health experiences in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Jennifer Gillivan, president and CEO of the foundation, said they were hoping to receive around 2,000 responses. They got more than 27,000.
“They are speaking loud and clear,” said Gillivan in an interview.
The survey showed 75 per cent of women admitted to delaying or avoiding care altogether amid an internal conflict when seeking care that they will be judged, dismissed or labelled as “difficult.”
“So they’re actually delaying care, which isn’t helpful because then by the time they do get the help, they’re more chronically ill,” she said.
About one in five women said they were in crisis and feel underserved in terms of communication and a sense of being cared for.
The top health issues prioritized by women were menopause, hormonal health and perimenopause.
For decades, women’s health issues have been under-researched, leading to disparities in health outcomes, gaps in access to care and instances of misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis, according to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
“This is an unavoidable period of a woman’s life. And if you look at the whole span from perimenopause to post-menopause, you’re looking at a good 30 years,” said Gillivan.
“There isn’t training in the system for this. And they themselves don’t have knowledge in that area.”
The executive summary of the survey included this comment from a respondent: “I feel on a personal level there is so much I do not know about my body, its reproductive system, and what is considered ‘normal.’”
Many women also prioritized chronic and often invisible health concerns like stress, anxiety, depression and the physical and emotional toll of caregiving.
‘Carrying the burden’
The summary said it’s clear that social pressures, caregiving roles, financial strain and knowledge gaps all converge to create invisible barriers to wellness.
“Women are carrying the burden of a lot of our society. They’re caring for their children. They’re caring for adults, older adults in their family. They’re also still trying to work and have a life,” said Gillivan.
A resounding 86 per cent of respondents said significant changes are needed to improve women’s health.
Gillivan said the survey will help serve as a blueprint for that.
She said the foundation has met with provincial health officials from all three Maritime provinces and they showed “a real interest.”
It will also help the foundation guide donors toward the top issues that need more research.
Gillivan said they are engaging stakeholders, both public and private, to convey the findings of the survey.
The findings are perhaps unsurprising to many women, but nevertheless affirm in black and white what they often discuss around kitchen tables and over coffee, said Gillivan.
“If we don’t have healthy, strong women, we don’t have a healthy, strong society. It’s just that,” she said. “I really believe that to my core.”
The foundation is a not-for-profit organization that raises funds to support the IWK Health Centre, a major hospital in Halifax that provides care to women, youth and children from the Maritime provinces.
The survey was conducted by Crestview Strategy between July 2 and 31, 2025, and was open to women across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. A total of 27,317 responses were analyzed.
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