UK Names Mariella Frostrup Women's Employment Ambassador

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 8 April 2026

• The British government has made an appointment of Mariella Frostrup as Women’s Employment Ambassador
• The position concentrates on tackling workforce departures that arise due to women’s illnesses
• Workforce departures arising from menopause cost around £1.7 billion per year

Mariella Frostrup has been named the first Women's Employment Ambassador by the UK government in order to help create better working conditions and support retention of female employees.

She served as the Menopause Employment Ambassador prior to this appointment and played an important role in raising awareness of the issues employers and their employees face in relation to menopause through various initiatives and by establishing the Menopause Advisory Group.

Her appointment comes as companies across the UK are becoming more aware of the negative economic impact health problems that affect women have on their ability and likelihood to work.

It is estimated that health issues directly related to menopause cost UK businesses approximately £1.7 billion each year due to absenteeism, decreased productivity and leaving the workforce. Thus, the government is encouraging employers, especially those with more than 250 employees, to create voluntary action plans designed to support women experiencing these issues.

In her new role, Mariella will collaborate with employers and other experts within different industries to develop solutions to health challenges that occur among women who are employed, including endometriosis and fibroids.

It is worth noting that the position is consistent with the need to tackle increased economic inactivity, with around 1.48 million women unemployed owing to ill health.

As per Dame Diana Johnson, this development is in line with the government’s goal of addressing the structural barriers to female employment.

There are positive signals from the industry regarding this development. Tracy Black commented that there has been increasing recognition by employers of the importance of workers' wellbeing, particularly when it comes to issues such as menopause.

The new position is one of the developments following the Employment Rights Act and the Women’s Health Strategy.