MEPs call for action to close the gender health gap

Need for concrete EU action on women’s health, including in the context of the EU’s gender equality strategy for 2026-2030

Policies to support medical innovation, investment and growth, while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens

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

MEPs have adopted a report on gender inequalities in health, calling for stronger EU action to tackle bias in medical research, diagnosis, and treatment.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a report outlining its position on gender inequalities in health, with 390 votes in favour, 218 against and 29 abstentions. The text highlights that gender inequalities in health are multifaceted and a violation of fundamental rights, 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. MEPs underline that health policy, medical research and clinical practice must be grounded in robust scientific evidence, objective biological facts concerning women and men, and the highest standards of medical expertise

Sex 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 to collect sex and gender disaggregated data in 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. A competitive economy is essential to high-quality healthcare and better outcomes for women, according to MEPs, who are demanding policies that support medical innovation, investment and growth, while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on health businesses, researchers and new treatments.

MEPs say the Commission should include clear, public and measurable 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 forced abortion, forced sterilisation, denial of abortion care, intersex genital mutilation, and obstetric and gynaecological violence. Moreover MEPs stress the importance of ensuring high-quality maternal healthcare for pregnant women.