For most of history, women's health has been treated as an afterthought — under-researched, under-funded and unspoken. This landscape is evolving quickly.
New research, smarter technology and targeted investment are reshaping how women experience health in every stage of life. This progress is overdue, but it isn't felt immediately. The women who benefit will be the ones with the knowledge to make sense of what's changing — and the workplaces and communities around them that understand it too.
Sleep and hormones both sit at the centre of how women feel, think and function, yet both remain under-discussed and easily dismissed. More than one in four women experience insomnia, and the gap widens at three predictable life stages: puberty, pregnancy and menopause. As a leading menopause General Practitioner Dr Simone Altaf puts it: 'Perimenopause and post-menopause comes with disrupted sleep for almost 60% of women. That's not a niche issue — that's most of us.' For many women, poor sleep isn't a personal failing or a lifestyle choice — it's biological, hormonal and predictable, which means it can be understood, planned for and supported. The tools to do that are improving fast, putting wearables, better diagnostics and technological insights into women's hands like never before.
Behind this, thousands of women are laying awake at 3am and pushing through a foggy afternoon, wondering why her body suddenly feels unfamiliar and if it's just her. When she understands what's happening and has the information and support to act on it – everything changes.
That's the conversation Luma is bringing to Perth.
On 11 September, Luma hosts its biggest event yet — The Future of Women's Health: Hormones, Sleep and Trends — a breakfast at Frasers State Reception Centre, overlooking Kings Park. World-renowned futurist, scientist and bestselling author Dr Catherine Ball will unpack where women's health, technology, hormones and sleep are heading next — with warmth, curiosity and a belief that this new era belongs to all of us. She'll be joined by a panel of women's health experts, guided by MC, facilitator and journalist Tina Altieri, whose 30 years on our screens bring credibility and warmth to every stage.
The panel discussion brings together brilliant minds and leading women’s health experts:
- Few people understand women's hormonal health like Dr Simone Altaf. Time and again, women come to her after years of being dismissed or misdiagnosed and finally get the answers they've been waiting for. A midwife, doctor and one of the state's leading menopause GPs, she brings 24 years of deep expertise and will shine a light on where women’s hormonal health is headed.
- Hon Dr Katrina Stratton brings the view from inside government. With a background in social work and a driving passion for social justice and change, she's a strong advocate for women's health — particularly menopause care — and offers a rare thing on a health panel: the perspective of someone helping to shape policy from the inside.
- Dr Alyx Robinson is a resident medical officer in WA's public hospital system and an emerging voice in the future of women's health. With experience in obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive health, she's building deep clinical expertise at the frontline of women's care. As one of the next generation of doctors, she brings a fresh clinical eye and a bold sense of where women's health is headed next.
Every guest takes home a copy of Dr Catherine's brand-new book, The Future of Sleep.
It's the kind of morning that leaves you informed, inspired and ready to act — whether you're a leader thinking about the women in your workplace, or a woman thinking about your own health.
Ticket sales close on September 3rd, 12pm: https://luma.org.au/learn/events/the-future-of-womens-health-hormones-sleep-and-trends/
Bring women’s health education to your workplace: https://luma.org.au/services/corporate-education/
Written by Sarah Allen, Brand & Marketing Lead at Luma
Photography by Frances Andrijich
Project managed by Maxine, Health Promotions Lead
Contributions from Kylie Marston, General Manager of Business Development
By Luma
