Last week saw the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) back a liberal-initiated report seeking to address long-standing and systemic gender inequalities in medical research, diagnosis and treatment.
Women continue to be under-represented in medical research and clinical trials. Over 72% of drug trials fail to provide sex- and gender-disaggregated data, while only 5% of global research and development funding is dedicated to women's health.
Led by Rapporteur Billy Kelleher MEP (Fianna Fáil, IE), the report sets out measures to improve women's health outcomes.
These include greater investment in women's health research, stronger inclusion of women in clinical trials and gender-sensitive diagnostics and treatments - particularly in areas such as endometriosis, menopause and cardiovascular disease.
"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," Kelleher, the First Vice-President of Renew Europe, said.
The report calls for improved access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
This includes through the successful European Citizens' Initiative "My Voice, My Choice", as well as better support for women's mental health and high-quality, discrimination-free care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. It also highlights the healthcare barriers faced by LGBTQI+ people and marginalised women.
"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,” Kelleher concluded.
By placing women's health higher on the political agenda, the report aims to support the implementation of the EU Gender Equality Strategy and shape future European health policy. A final vote by the European Parliament is expected in September 2026.