Press release - Gender health gap: MEPs call for more EU action

Gender health gap: MEPs call for more EU action
- Need for concrete EU action on women’s health, including in the context of the EU’s gender equality strategy for 2026-2030
- More investment needed in women’s health and intersectional research
- Better data, inclusive research and gender sensitive healthcare needed
- Systematic consideration of the health needs of women essential across all stages of their lives across all policies and the EU budget
Women’s Rights committee has adopted a draft report on gender inequalities in health, calling for stronger EU action to tackle systemic bias in medical research, diagnosis, and treatment.
On Tuesday, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality adopted a draft report outlining its position on gender inequalities in health, with 27 votes in favour, 9 against and no abstentions. The text highlights that gender inequalities in health are structural, multifaceted and rooted in decades of medical research designed around the male anatomy, affecting the whole cycle of care for women, from clinical trials to diagnosis, treatment, and access to healthcare The MEPs also stress the impact of intersecting forms of discrimination, particularly on women in vulnerable situations
Mandatory sex and gender sensitive research design throughout the full research cycle is needed, according to MEPs, including greater efforts to include pregnant and breastfeeding women in clinical trials, as well as sex and gender disaggregated data in all EU funded projects. They also call for the European Health Data Space (EHDS) to include a strong gender perspective and warn that artificial intelligence in healthcare can reinforce existing gender and racial biases.
The MEPs say the Commission should include clear, public, measurable and binding targets to address gender inequalities in health, including as part of a comprehensive EU women’s health strategy. They also call on the Commission to complement the EU’s gender equality strategy for 2026-2030 through policy and budgetary measures prioritising dedicated investment in women’s health and gender specific conditions
The report draws attention to under-researched and -diagnosed conditions such as endometriosis, menopause symptoms, cardiovascular disease, migraines, infertility, osteoporosis, diabetes and mental health conditions. MEPs also want the Commission and member states to address harmful practices, including denial of abortion care, intersex genital mutilation, and obstetric and gynaecological violence.
Quote
After the vote, rapporteur Billy Kelleher (Renew, Ireland) said: “Women’s health remains one of medicine’s biggest blind spots. When research, clinical trials and medical data fail to reflect women's experiences, the result is poorer diagnosis, treatment and care. This report is about closing those gaps and ensuring that women’s health is recognised as a core measure of the quality and fairness of our healthcare systems."
Next steps
The own initiative report is expected to be tabled at an upcoming plenary session.
Contacts:
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Polona TEDESKO
Press Officer