The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Thursday, March 20, 2025
From Menstruation to Menopause, A new look at Women’s health.
Women’s health has been under-researched and under-prioritized because of long held historical misconceptions, stigma and underfunding.
Dr. Jen Gunter, renowned author and gynecologist, summed it up by writing: “Women were long viewed as lesser and more troublesome versions of men, and their reproductive tracts were primarily studied to improve pregnancy outcomes. This has resulted in inadequate research and education about the female body and the dismissal of women’s health concerns”.
Menstruation, ovulation, perimenopause and menopause are as normal as any other function of the body yet remains taboo, despite being a reality for 50% of the population.
There is a cost to this stigma. 83% of young Canadian women experience shame about menstruating and 1 in 3 don’t feel prepared for their first period. 68% of women in Canada felt that their period prevented them from full participation in an activity. More than half have missed school, work or social activities.
Period poverty is real, and not just in developing nations. One in five women in Canada struggle to afford menstrual products. This inequity doesn’t end when menstruation ends. The Menopause Foundation of Canada reports that 10% of women will stop working due to unmanaged symptoms.
Every March, we come together to observe International Women’s Day, and this year, the Empire Club is excited to present “Here’s a Hot Flash: Women’s Health Matters. Period.” Our experts will debate how far we have come and the work still to be done. They’ll share stories and evidence on how bringing conversations on women’s health out into the open benefits individual women, the economy, and our broader society.
On March 20th, 2025, join Joanna Griffiths, Founder and President, Knix, Dr. Wendy Wolfman, Director of the Menopause and the Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Clinics at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and Karli Farrow, President and CEO at Trillium Health Partners (THP) for a lively discussion on women’s health from menstruation to menopause — moderated by Teri Hart, journalist and TV host.
Karli Farrow is the President and CEO at Trillium Health Partners (THP). Previously she was the Executive Vice-President of Patient Care Services and Chief Operating Officer where she was accountable for clinical operations and the delivery of exceptional patient experiences. She also oversaw capital planning and redevelopment to ensure that all future planning at THP is closely linked to the delivery of patient care.
Karli joined THP in 2009 prior to the merger of Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre. She provided leadership to support the merger of the two organizations in 2011. She has since led innovative processes to engage people within the organization and in the community to achieve the hospital’s strategic mission to deliver a new kind of health care for a healthier community.
Prior to joining THP, Karli worked in health care consulting where she led projects focused on reducing wait times and improving chronic disease management. She has also served in senior advisory roles for the Ontario Government, including Director of Policy for the Premier of O ntario and Chief of Staff to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, where she helped develop and implement strategies to improve access to care and long-term sustainability of the health care system in Ontario.
Karli serves on the Board of Trustees of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) and the Board of Directors of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).
Joanna Griffiths is the Founder and President of intimate apparel and activewear brands Knix and Kt by Knix. Since launching the company in 2013, Joanna has been credited with helping invent the leakproof underwear category, which is considered the fastest growing segment within intimate hygiene and has changed the lives of millions of people around the world.
Joanna broke the Canadian record for the largest publicly disclosed sale of a private company by a solo female founder when Swedish health and hygiene Giant Essity purchased 80% of Knix in 2022. Always one to push for greater change, when asked about the record Joanna shared she hopes it’s a title she holds for a short period of time and can’t wait to cheer on whoever holds it next.
Joanna’s long list of accolades include Waterstone’s Most Admired CEO, Glossy’s 2024 Founder of the Year, an AdWeek Women Trailblazer and in 2023 was named Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® and represented Canada for the Global title. Joanna holds an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD, sits on the board of the Toronto International Film Festival.. She also holds multiple patents and released her first book “Life After Birth” via globally renowned publisher Rizzoli in 2021 and her first children’s book “Some Periods” in 2023.
One of Canada’s most recognized and sought-after media personalities, Teri Hart is a multi-talented host, interviewer, critic and producer.
Currently appearing as the face of Super Channel with Teri Hart’s Super Channel Superpicks. Teri is also a frequent contributor to CBC’s national radio show “Commotion”. Teri was the face of The Movie Network for 19 years, the entertainment reporter for CITY News and Breakfast Television for 5 years and has also appeared on The Morning Show (Global), E-Talk and The Social (CTV).
Teri has been an advocate for the fertility community for over a decade, frequently discussing her own experiences being childfree not by choice on podcasts and panels and most recently was the honorary chair for the annual Fertility Matters 6K.
Follow Teri:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/terihart/?hl=en
Twitter – https://twitter.com/TeriHart
Dr. Wendy Wolfman has dedicated her entire clinical and academic career to improving the lives of women. She is the Director of the Menopause Clinic and The Premature Ovarian Failure Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, part of Sinai Health System. She is also Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Toronto and is currently co-chair of the clinical gynaecology practice guidelines committee for the Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists of Canada. She received her MD from the University of Calgary, her post-graduate training in Calgary, Toronto, and South Carolina. Her current research interests include optimal replacements for patients with premature ovarian failure and transvaginal progesterone in the menopausal woman. Dr. Wolfman also sits on the International Menopause Society.
In her role as the Inaugural Recipient of the Carol Mitchell Chair in Menopause, she will increase awareness and educate the medical community. To that end, she runs an annual course for up to 400 physicians and other health professionals and lectures throughout the community to family practitioners.
