Women’s Health Plan for Wales: Next Steps Conference 

Joanne Kitt has been a registered nurse for 18 years with a specialist interest in women’s health. Joanne has a background in gynaecology and early pregnancy ultrasound, emergency gynaecology and early pregnancy nursing and has held the role of the Endometriosis Clinical Nurse Specialist in Aneurin Bevan University Health board for 4 years. Joanne’s role has helped to implement nurse led clinics for patients with endometriosis specifically concentrating on symptom management. Joanne is passionate about improving the experiencing for patients with endometriosis across Wales. Joanne focuses on a holistic approach in order to be able to facilitate this working closely with members of the wider multi-disciplinary team. 

Mwenya Chimba is Head of Training at Welsh women’s Aid. She has a wealth of knowledge in the violence against women and girls arena, with specific experience in developing services, training, and resources focusing on a BME perspective. Mwenya has been actively involved in policy and service development initiatives to tackle harmful practices in Wales.  

Mwenya is an avid researcher with 12 years experience working in different universities. In 2021 she was one of the Impact Assessors for the Research Excellence Framework https://www.ref.ac.uk/about/what-is-the-ref/ . 

Mwenya has a BSc in Social Sciences, MA in Journalism and a PhD in Journalism, Media and Cultural studies with a focus on Gender inequalities and has more than 20 years experience in different management roles. 

In 2012 she was joint winner of the Marsh Christian award for work in the fight against human trafficking.  

I am a consultant midwife specialising in public health and vulnerable families in Wales, with over 20 years’ experience as a midwife I am passionate about improving maternity care and womens health  for those facing social and health inequalities. My work has focused on developing and implementing evidence based strategies to enhance access to high quality, person centred care for all families. I have recently completed a secondment with the NMC as a midwifery advisor, contributing to the regulation of advanced midwifery practice workstream, this role deepened my expertise in policy, professional standards and the evolving scope of midwifery. In addition to clinical and leadership responsibilities, I am nearing completion of a PhD exploring the barriers and facilitators to the uptake of early postnatal contraception. This research aims to inform policy and practice, ensuring women receive timely, informed choices about their reproductive health.

Dr Sofia Gameiro is a Reader and Health Psychologist at the School of Psychology, Cardiff University. Her research focusses on women’s health and spans across multiple areas, from reproductive to menstrual health, transition to parenthood, adjustment to unrealised parenthood goals, (digital, in-person) intervention development and evaluation, health communication, and health outcomes assessment, among others.  

Together, with her collaborators, Dr Gameiro’s work has psychologically informed policy and practice, produced evidence-based resources for patient self-management and support and healthcare workforce training and skills development, contributed to prevention, early intervention and awareness initiatives, and supported patient and public involvement and engagement, dissemination and impact.  

Dr Gameiro is a co-I in the Women’s Health Research Wales Centre, where she leads the work package Underserved Women Communities and the integration of sex and gender considerations in health and care research across Wales.