WCW Challenge : 50 DAYS 50 BUSINESSES
Helen has worked intensely in the run up to World Childless Week 2025 speaking with numerous companies about recognising World Childless Week and supporting their childless employees. There is interest, and her challenge is ongoing, and I promise you will see the results over the coming weeks and months.
WHSmith, NTT Data and a large globally recognised company (who unfortunatley wish to remain anonymous) are fully onboard, and this is just the beginning!
Helen Gallagher - Happy and Childless
World Childless Week Ambassador
As an ambassador for World Childless Week, I am passionate about working with businesses to acknowledge the unique challenges faced by those childless not by choice and to help guide them to create a more inclusive and empathetic workplace culture.
Over the last few years, in addition to my own coaching, I have spoken with many businesses regarding support for bereaved parents in my capacity as Business Partnership Lead for Aching Arms, baby loss charity, where I also use my voice to support and raise awareness of the profound grief of being childless not by choice. What has become so apparent is that the demographic of childless people in the workplace is just not even considered and It is not that businesses do not want to better support, they just have not even thought that this support is necessary....
....THIS IS WHY THIS CHALLENGE IS SO IMPORTANT
It is my objective to share my own story of being childless in a pronatalist workplace to help share the challenges faced but also to start discussions about improvements in both policy and culture that need to take place. It is is the complete lack of understanding surrounding being childless that leads to inappropriate questions, working pattern inequality and isolation and this challenge aims to try and change this and get World Childless Week and the support available cemented into workplace culture.
This first step is getting businesses to acknowledge and include on their workplace calendar. Nobody should suffer the grief of childlessness alone and together we can all create a more inclusive environment.
Durng the 50 days running up to World Childless Week, I will be liaising with businesses and asking them the below two questions with the intent of raising awareness and getting businesses to see, hear and support us:
Will you add World Childless Week to your DEI calendar and reference the support available on your intranet
Will you share our post on social media during World Childless Week to show your childless employees that you support them
Stephanie Joy Phillips
World Childless Week Founder
When Helen first approached me with her idea I could see its potential to make an impact and create a positivie change in how the childless are recognised in the workplace. The more businesses we can approach, and the more who support this challenge the bigger our opportunity to normalise the conversation around childlessness.
We are worthy to be seen, worthy to be be heard, worthy to be included
