Medical Womens Federation

What Medical Womens Federation does

Medical Women's Federation (MWF) is a UK-registered charity (no. 261820) and the largest membership organization of women doctors and medical students in the UK, founded on 1 February 1917 with 190 initial members and headquartered at Tavistock House North, London. It operates a non-software, community-led model serving three persona segments — women doctors at all career stages, medical students, and retired women doctors — through tiered annual membership subscriptions priced £5-£130 depending on career stage, supplemented by donations/fundraising (payroll giving, easyfundraising across 8,000+ retailers, legacy gifts), annual Spring Conference registrations (£50-£165), merchandise sales (t-shirts £18, enamel pins, greeting cards via a SumUp storefront), and essay competition entries (£10).

The product portfolio consists of standalone service offerings rather than a unified technology platform: a membership program, The Medical Women Podcast (launched February 2022 on the organization's 105th birthday; 13,000+ listens), the annual Spring Conference in Coventry, monthly "In Conversation With" webinars, the Katherine Branson Essay Prize, a Listening Ear volunteer peer-support service, an ACCIA advisory service for Clinical Impact Award applications, and a partner-referral coaching network (Klip Global, Faculty of Medical Coaches, Dr Becs Winterborn, Dr Cathryn Edwards, Dr Penny Newman). Distribution is direct via the medicalwomensfederation.org.uk website and at in-person events, with international reach limited to podcast platforms and the federation's affiliation with the Medical Women's International Association (MWIA).

MWF generates ancillary revenue and member value through strategic alliances with the British Medical Association, NHS England, the General Medical Council, and the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, alongside commercial partnerships with freewills.co.uk (legacy pipeline) and easyfundraising (consumer shopping donations). The organization has no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investment, is led by elected officers (current President Professor Dame Jane Dacre; President-Elect from May 2026 Professor Catherine Calderwood), and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees under a registered UK charity governance structure.

Name

Medical Womens Federation

Legal name

Medical Women's Federation

Website

https://medicalwomensfederation.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Medical Women's Federation is a UK-registered charity (founded 1917) operating as the largest membership organization for women doctors and medical students in the UK, delivering tiered memberships (£5-£130), advocacy, conferences, coaching partnerships, and the Medical Women Podcast from its London headquarters with 1-10 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAB

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYMPAGAGAF

Healthcare & Medical Congresses

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

SECONDARYTHAHAJAA

Medical & Health Sciences Congresses

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Association, Government & Academic Congresses

Keywords

• Medical professional membership
• Women doctors advocacy
• Medical leadership development
• Professional medical society
• Physician networking

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees ranging from £5 for medical students to £130 for consultants and GPs, based on career status and qualification level. This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Donations and Fundraising: MWF relies heavily on voluntary donations as a vital part of income. Multiple fundraising channels including direct donations, payroll giving, Easyfundraising partnerships, and corporate donations.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including greeting cards and enamel pin badges through the merchandise shop.
4. Conference Fees: Revenue from Spring Conference registrations with tiered pricing for members and non-members, ranging from £50 to £165 depending on membership status and career stage.
5. Competition Entry Fees: Katherine Branson Essay Prize has entry fee of £10 for non-members while MWF members enter free of charge.
6. Legacy Gifts: Gifts in Wills - bequests from members and supporters who leave legacies to MWF in their wills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Medical Women's Federation (MWF) is the largest UK membership organization for women doctors and medical students, offering tiered annual membership subscriptions alongside networking events, conferences, webinars, coaching partnerships, advocacy campaigns, peer support services, and educational content (including The Medical Women Podcast and essay prizes). It operates as a registered charity funded primarily by membership fees, donations, and conference revenues to advance gender equity in medicine.

Product overview

The Medical Women's Federation operates as a membership organization rather than a software product company. Its offerings consist of membership services including professional development programs (coaching services, webinars, conferences), advocacy campaigns, the Medical Women Podcast, essay prizes and competitions, the Listening Ear support service, and merchandise. These are standalone offerings that serve the organization's mission to support women doctors and improve health, rather than a unified software platform with interconnected modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MWF Membership
• The Medical Women Podcast
• MWF Spring Conference
• Katherine Branson Essay Prize
• Coaching Services for Members
• In Conversation With (Webinars)
• Listening Ear Service
• MWF Merchandise Shop
• Free Will Writing Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 55.1% of respondents have personally experienced unfair treatment, bullying and harassment in their place of work
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Klip Global CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWF has partnered with Klip Global Community to provide 50% off 1:1 and group leadership, career development and wellbeing coaching services exclusively to MWF members. This is described as a deep commitment to supporting fellow medics through an exclusive partnership.
• Dr Becs Winterborn CoachingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Becs Winterborn offers MWF members free access to The Heart-led leaders compass, 50% off the Be Fearless coaching package (six 90-minute sessions for £900), and preferential rates for events. Provides coaching focused on compassionate support for medical professionals.
• Faculty of Medical CoachescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty of Medical Coaches, a not-for-profit organization of NHS professionals, offers MWF members coaching at half their usual rate including matching with a suitable coach plus 3 x 90-minute coaching sessions at £500. Has helped over 3,000 professional clients since 2008.
• Dr Cathryn EdwardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Cathryn Edwards offers MWF members Leadership Coaching Programme of 5 one-to-one bespoke sessions at 50% discount (£500) and coaching retreats in Devon countryside at 25% discount (£675).
• Dr Penny Newman (Haelan Coaching)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Penny Newman, an experienced Executive coach accredited to Senior Practitioner and masters level, offers 50% reduced rate for MWF Members. Specializes in leadership, careers, transition, and wellbeing coaching.
• freewills.co.ukcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMWF has teamed up with freewills.co.uk to provide a free online will-writing service. This is a partnership with 400 other charities where users can write a free will without cost to the user or MWF. The company generates revenue when users later request Power of Attorney or trust fund documents.
• easyfundraisingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMWF is registered with easyfundraising, allowing supporters to raise free donations every time they shop online through over 8,000 participating retailers. The service is completely free for supporters with no extra cost.
• British Medical Association (BMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWF works with BMA on issues including wellbeing support services, professional development resources, and advocacy. MWF refers members to BMA resources for whistleblowing guidance, legal advice, and career support.
• General Medical Council (GMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWF engages with GMC on regulatory issues affecting women doctors. The organization advocates for policy changes and has been part of coalitions calling for GMC reform.
• Medical Women's International Association (MWIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWF is affiliated with MWIA, an international organization of women doctors. MWF participates in MWIA congresses and initiatives including the triennial theme on violence against women and global women's health advocacy.
• Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWF refers members experiencing financial difficulty to RMBF which provides assistance for doctors and medical students in financial hardship.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMWF works with NHS England on issues affecting women doctors including supporting members through NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day and providing resources for healthcare workers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Athena Swan Charter: UK equality charter for higher education and research institutions focused on gender equity, including in medicine. Comparable audience (women in academic medicine) and overlapping advocacy theme, though operates as a charter/award scheme rather than paid membership.
• Royal Medical Benevolent Fund: UK charity providing financial and pastoral support to doctors and medical students. Peer as a comparable mission-driven medical charity that MWF actively refers struggling members to, operating in the same charitable health ecosystem.

Direct peers

• American Medical Women's Association (AMWA): The US equivalent of MWF: a membership organization specifically for women physicians and medical students that provides advocacy, networking, leadership programming, and conferences. Most direct functional analog serving the same member persona.
• Australian Medical Women's Association: Another national medical women's association offering advocacy, networking, mentorship and conferences for women doctors in Australia. Most direct analog to MWF outside the UK, operating under the same MWIA umbrella.
• Medical Women's International Association (MWIA): International federation of women doctor organizations, of which MWF is an affiliated national member. Direct peer: provides congresses, training, advocacy, and triennial themes on women's health (e.g., violence against women) for women doctors globally.

Broad incumbents

• British Medical Association (BMA): The UK's largest doctors' trade union and professional body. Directly comparable as a UK medical membership organization providing advocacy, professional development, and policy voice to physicians — MWF frequently refers members to BMA for legal and career support.
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists: UK specialty medical membership body with strong female member alignment and advocacy programmes. Comparable operating model — paid fellowship/membership, exams, conferences, policy voice — and an overlapping women-in-medicine mission.
• Royal College of Physicians: Major UK medical royal college providing paid fellowship, conferences, education, and policy engagement for physicians. Comparable membership structure and conference programming to MWF, though much larger in scale.
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: UK medical membership college with overlapping female-membership base and policy advocacy. Comparable as a paid-membership professional body running conferences, education, and member services for doctors.

Emerging players

• Women in Medicine (WIM) UK: UK network supporting women in medicine through events, mentorship, and advocacy. Overlapping target audience (women doctors/students in the UK) and overlapping community/networking offering, though smaller and less established than MWF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/medicalwomenuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/MedWomen
• Instagraminstagram.com/medicalwomenuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Medical Womens Federation