Women

Jools Oliver, 51, said on a podcast that years of undiagnosed ADHD 'ruined' 45 years of her life, putting late diagnosis in women in focus in October 2026.

Ingram Micro India named former Microsoft senior director Farhana Haque Country Lead and Executive Director, Platform Business, from October 21, 2026.

Doctors say the viral 'ferritin face' idea cannot diagnose iron deficiency, which only a blood test can confirm; women face higher risk, and 57% of Indian women are anaemic.

Ontario's October 26, 2026 local polls gave Ottawa a women-majority council, 13 to 12, and North Bay and Pembroke their first women mayors.

A Bournemouth University study of about 900 people, out October 27, 2026, found autistic participants had worse menopause symptoms and lower wellbeing.

A This Girl Can survey reported on October 26-27, 2026 found 55% of women in Britain feel unsafe exercising outdoors alone after dark.

An AI-guided virtual reality therapy for menopause hot flashes, MenoZen VR, proved usable in an early study presented at The Menopause Society's October 2026 meeting.

On October 25, 2026, the PM praised Nav-Trinjan, a Faridkot project where rural women turn naturally farmed desi cotton into handwoven khadi.

Jharkhand High Court granted a Hazaribagh woman a divorce, holding her husband's demand that she accept his affair partner was cruelty; reported October 26, 2026.

Coach Natalie Nakase's Golden State Valkyries beat Atlanta 64-55 on October 26, 2026, to lead the WNBA Finals 3-2, in only the expansion team's second season.

Olivia Chow was re-elected mayor of Toronto on October 26, 2026, taking about 54% of the vote to Brad Bradford's 41%, and wins her first full term.

On October 26, 2026, four US medical societies released a framework tying women's heart care to four life stages, from the first period to after menopause.

Placentas in late-onset pre-eclampsia show faster ageing, with oxidative stress a key driver, a Flinders University study in PNAS reported on October 26, 2026.

The UN's Women, Peace and Security report, released October 26, finds women were 5% of negotiators in 57 peace processes in 2025 and a quarter of civilians killed.

Odisha's Mission Shakti began training 320 women board members of 64 producer companies with XIMB and NISWASS on October 26, in 13 batches to December 22.

A review presented on October 20, 2026, found ADHD drugs improved midlife women's self-rated focus but not objective memory tests; experts call it too early.

A UN Women and World Bank brief released on October 22, 2026 finds mothers average 196 days of paid leave and fathers 25; 66 economies give fathers none.

Bulgaria's acting president Iliana Iotova won the October 25, 2026 first round with 34.6% and faces a November 1 runoff that could make her its first elected woman president.

Australian biotech CSL named ViiV Healthcare chief Deborah Waterhouse CEO from February 1, 2027, the first woman to lead the company, it said on October 21, 2026.

A University of Sydney study of 11,380 adults, released on 21 October 2026, describes a 'circadian' depression subtype in 23% of patients, 80% of them women.

A record 26 women are major-party nominees for US governor on November 3, 2026, Rutgers' CAWP said on October 25; House numbers may fall.

A Mass General Brigham review publicised on October 22, 2026 proposes that the months after birth let mothers recover from pregnancy-linked biological ageing.

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado returned home on October 25, 2026, after nearly a year abroad.

Emily George will lead Marc Jacobs worldwide as global president from November 1, 2026, succeeding CEO Eric Marechalle after the brand's sale by LVMH.

Jeanne Hengemuhle, a 26-year veteran, has been confirmed as the first woman to lead the New Jersey State Police in its 105-year history, reported 25 October 2026.

Queen Camilla called domestic abuse survivors the 'real heroes' at a summit on ending violence against women in Wiltshire on 23 October 2026.

A survey of 1,808 women in perimenopause across 87 countries, shown at The Menopause Society meeting in October 2026, linked more frequent exercise with milder symptoms.

Morocco's parliament backed PM Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri's programme 204-127 on October 22, 2026; it targets 21.2% women's economic participation by 2031.

Women whose menopause came before 40 had higher heart disease risk, with insulin resistance explaining about a fifth of the link, says a study shown at The Menopause Society meeting.

Business Today's 2026 Most Powerful Women list ranks 100 women-led enterprises with FY26 profits of Rs 2.11 lakh crore; Nitin Gadkari presented the awards on October 23.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that a dowry demand made after marriage is punishable even if no amount was agreed before the wedding, restoring a husband's conviction.

Former badminton international Kuhoo Garg won the IPS Sword of Honour as best outdoor probationer of the 78th batch at Hyderabad's police academy on 17 October 2026.

Premier Health said on 22 October 2026 that Rosanna Morris, a registered nurse and MD Anderson executive, will become its CEO in early 2027.

A University of Kashmir survey of 600 respondents in three districts, reported on 20-21 October 2026, found women fetch water in 91.7% of households and 95% report exhaustion.

Childcare platform Maasi launched in Bengaluru on 22 October 2026 with verified nannies on demand from Rs 660 a visit, after a beta with 1,200 families and a 5,000-parent waitlist.

A poll reported on October 20, 2026 has Rick Jackson at 46% and Keisha Lance Bottoms at 45% in Georgia, where she seeks to be the first woman governor.

US women can expect seven lifetime years caring for older relatives and friends, up from six in 2011, while men stay at four, a study announced on Oct 21, 2026 finds.

A year after Sanae Takaichi became Japan's first woman PM, a Jiji Press poll reported on Oct 22, 2026 shows her cabinet's support among women fell to 42.9% from 65.9%.

Australia's State of Workplace Burnout report, released in October 2026, found 36% of 999 workers burnt out, with broken systems and interruptions the main drivers.

Cook Political Report moved Minnesota's Senate race between Peggy Flanagan and Michele Tafoya to Lean Democrat on October 20, 2026; a woman will win the seat either way.

Democrat Amy Acton leads Vivek Ramaswamy 50% to 43% in a Marist poll of October 15-18, 2026, as an ad featuring her mother roils the race.

ACOG's new menopause guidance, released October 15, 2026, drops the 'lowest dose, shortest time' hormone therapy rule and adds non-hormonal options.

Dr. Garima Mishra, a former Indian Air Force engineer, became CEO of Apple distributor HP Telecom India on October 21, 2026.

WHO and three UN agencies launched indicators on October 21, 2026 to track how extreme heat harms pregnant women, newborns and children.

A George Mason University study of 792 US caregivers with heart conditions, published in October 2026, links poor sleep to heavier strain, most for women.

Bank of the Philippine Islands named consumer banking head Ginbee Go its first woman president and CEO on October 22, 2026, effective April 26, 2027.

SZA's first collection as Vans artistic director, VANSZA Drop 1, led by a Knu Skool Mule and an Authentic shoe, goes on sale on October 22, 2026.

Oxfam India's study, reported on October 19, 2026, says rural women's workforce share rose to 47.6%, but 59% of self-employed women are unpaid family helpers.

The UAE nominated minister of state Lana Nusseibeh for UN Secretary-General on October 21, 2026, a late entry to a race where leading candidates face vetoes.

A Hanwha survey of 3,000 South Korean women released October 21, 2026 found they do 23 hours of housework a week in dual-income homes with young children, men 12.

Australian independent MP Helen Haines has lost both legs after a targeted vehicle attack in Wangaratta on October 19, 2026; a 43-year-old man has been charged.

Starling founder Anne Boden has sold her last 2.7% stake, worth about £45 million, at a £1.7 billion valuation, it was reported on October 20, 2026.

Women's Aid said Big Brother UK showed 'red flag' controlling behaviour as entertainment; ITV said on October 20, 2026 that housemates are monitored round the clock.

ManpowerGroup said on October 15, 2026 that president Becky Frankiewicz will become CEO on January 1, 2027, with Jonas Prising moving to executive chair.

On 18 October 2026, Venezuela's opposition alliance backed exiled Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado as leader and set 14 demands, with no poll date.

Mary Duggan's Lion Green Road, 157 council homes in Croydon, won the RIBA Stirling Prize on October 15, 2026, on her studio's first shortlisting.

Christina Applegate said on October 20, 2026 that doctors now say she does not have MS, diagnosed in 2021, but her symptoms persist and the cause is unknown.

Four women-led Ladakhi labels showed Pashmina and Changthang crafts at Lakmé Fashion Week in New Delhi on 18 October 2026, backed by Ladakh's government.

Mari ZT Lalrithangi of Lawngtlai, Mizoram, became the first Mizo woman named among FAO's 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems, reported on October 16, 2026.

Col. Leah Lorenzo-Santiago, one of the PMA's first seven women graduates, became its first woman Commandant of Cadets on October 17, 2026.