About Well Woman
The Dublin Well Woman Centres were founded in 1978, with the aim of helping Irish women access family planning information and services—at a time when contraception was illegal. Throughout the 1980s, Well Woman campaigned for the right to provide information to women facing crisis pregnancy, and in the 1990s won a landmark case at the European Court of Human Rights. Times change, and over the past 30 years Well Woman has extended its range of services, and now provides broader-based primary healthcare services to both women and men. We continue to influence public policy and awareness by speaking out on women’s health issues.
The Well Woman annual report for 2022 is now available for download.
Purpose
The Dublin Well Woman Centre is the not-for-profit organisation that champions women’s sexual health at every life stage, and delivers the best possible advice and care to women.
Vision
The Dublin Well Woman Centre has a big vision; we want to be the ‘go to’ place for women’s sexual health, at every stage along life’s journey. We want the best possible healthcare to be available to all women in Ireland.
Values
- In Well Woman, excellence is at the heart of what we do. Our commitment to excellence drives us to innovate; we are committed to leading when it comes to new developments, and to taking inspiration from other leading healthcare organisations, nationally and internationally.
- We are non judgemental in our treatment of patients and clients; our approach is one of integrity, upholding the right of each individual woman to make health decisions appropriate to her and her needs.
- Our client centred approach respects our patients and clients; we support the choices women make about their sexual and reproductive health, and offer our services in the most accessible way possible.
- We are caring and supportive in what we do; this means that Well Woman doctors, nurses and counsellors connect with our patients and clients in a relationship of equals.
Our current policy concerns:
- Availability of breast screening
- Cervical screening and sexual health
Well Woman provides employment to over 30 doctors, nurses, counsellors, and reception/administration staff, and remains the leading provider of women’s health services in Dublin.
Our Governance
The Dublin Well Woman Centre is governed by a Board of Directors, which has strategic oversight of Well Woman. The Board sets our direction and priorities, and ensures the organisation is effective and accountable. Board members give their time voluntarily and are not remunerated. The Chief Executive, Alison Begas, reports to the Board, and runs the organisation on a day-to-day basis.
Recognition
We are delighted that the Dublin Well Women Centre is the recipient of the prestigious 2016 Eir Spiders Award for Best Charity or Not for Profit website. The Eir Spiders Awards reward Irish businesses and community organisations for their creativity and innovation, and aim to recognise and showcase online excellence. The judges recognised the Dublin Well Woman Centre’s website for its accessibility, ease of use and transparency.