Last Updated:June 09, 2025, 12:36 IST
India’s corporate focus on women’s health is limited to maternity benefits, neglecting reproductive health, mental health, and chronic conditions.
Maternity benefits, while essential, represent only a small fraction of the health challenges that women face.
In India, while corporate conversations around diversity and inclusion are slowly growing, our approach towards women’s health at the workplace still remains less focused—primarily on maternity benefits, but there are more health concerns that need immediate attention and preventive care solutions.
Maternity benefits, while essential, represent only a small fraction of the health challenges that women face. Real inclusivity in workplace health benefits demands a broader lens—one that factors in reproductive health beyond childbirth, mental health, and chronic conditions that disproportionately impact women. We must ask ourselves: is our current approach truly inclusive, or are we offering a tokenistic solution to a much deeper need?
At present, maternity benefits dominate the women-centric offerings under group health insurance policies. Pregnancy is the most frequently claimed treatment; however, the coverage primarily includes delivery charges. As a result, families often face out-of-pocket expenses as high as 30% during childbirth. Women need support before, during, and after pregnancy. However, support given for pre-pregnancy in the form of infertility or fertility is not so prevalent in Indian corporate offerings. Less than 20% of organisations offer this cover. Similarly, while 70% of organisations offer pre and post-natal cover, the amounts are typically restricted to INR 5,000 only, making it inadequate for accessing the right healthcare system. Post-pregnancy, women need continued physical and mental health support, yet structured pregnancy care programs remain rare in most organisations. Where such programs do exist, they are typically limited to female employees and often see minimal engagement.
However, reproductive health is about much more than pregnancy. It includes menstrual health, access to gynaecological consultations, fertility support, and menopause management. These areas are critical but often go unaddressed. Menstrual disorders can cause recurring pain and fatigue, leading to absenteeism and stress, yet are rarely acknowledged or supported by workplace policies. In India, most organisations are yet to recognise period leave as a legitimate workplace policy. Menopause, too, affects women in mid to late career stages, bringing with it a host of symptoms—such as insomnia, anxiety, and hot flushes—that can hinder performance. Yet, menopause remains a topic largely absent from health conversations at work. Similarly, menopause—which brings a host of symptoms including fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disorders—receives little to no attention in corporate health plans, despite affecting a large population of mid-career professionals.
Mental health is another significant gap. While many group insurance policies have started offering limited mental health coverage, women often experience unique stressors—balancing caregiving responsibilities, societal expectations, and workplace pressures. Anxiety, depression, postpartum depression, and burnout are real issues that are still under-discussed and under-treated in insurance frameworks.
Women are also more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders, and osteoporosis—conditions that require long-term care and early detection. Preventive health screenings tailored for women are largely missing in group policies. The most common health issues affecting women include neoplasms, genitourinary conditions, and digestive disorders. Notably, there is a rising trend in early-age breast cancer cases. While hospitalisation expenses are typically covered under the medical sum insured, corporate India often falls short in providing adequate preventive care resources. There is a significant opportunity for employers to enhance their health offerings through OPD coverage for early screenings, breast cancer detection programs, wellness workshops focused on healthy living, and gamified physical challenges. Also, common conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), endometriosis, and fibroids can severely impact daily functioning and productivity, yet are often excluded from standard corporate policies or require out-of-pocket expenses. Rewarding women for proactively managing their health can drive better engagement — an area that remains largely underdeveloped in many corporate wellness programs today.
Most annual check-ups are generic and fail to include tests for breast health, cervical screenings, or bone density, which are critical for women over 30 and 40. When preventive care is not prioritised, issues are often detected late, leading to increased treatment costs and avoidable stress. For organisations, investing in preventive and inclusive care is not a matter of generosity—it’s a matter of long-term financial and operational sense. Healthier employees are more engaged, more productive, and more likely to remain loyal to their workplace. If we are to move toward real gender parity in the workplace, our healthcare offerings must be as diverse as the people they serve. We need to reimagine group health benefits with women’s complete health journey in mind.
Marking topical days dedicated to women is essential, but what truly matters is what we do the other 364 days of the year. As organisations strive to become more inclusive, rethinking women’s health coverage is a necessary step forward. We must move beyond maternity. Only then can we build workplaces that are not just diverse, but genuinely equitable.
It is authored by Mr. Surinder Bhagat, Head- Employee Benefits, Large Account Practice, Prudent Insurance Brokers
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst…Read More
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst… Read More
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