When it comes to healthcare, it’s widely acknowledged that men and women have different health needs. Yet, despite this clear distinction, women’s health has historically been placed on the back burner, and this imbalance is a harsh reality that continues to affect women globally today.
This pervasive issue is often referred to as the Gender Health Gap, and it continues to shape the quality of care women receive, the research funding that drives advancements in medicine, and even the policies that dictate health priorities.
The Gender Health Gap has left a void that affects millions of women worldwide, but how did we get here, and more importantly, what can be done about it?
The Historical Roots of the Gender Health Gap
For decades, women were excluded from clinical trials. This exclusion wasn’t just a minor oversight—it had severe implications for the entire healthcare system.
Women were often seen as “complicated subjects” due to hormonal fluctuations and the potential for pregnancy, so researchers opted to focus on men, mistakenly assuming that women would respond similarly to medications and treatments.
This flawed logic has led to treatments designed for male bodies being applied to women, with often disastrous results. Moreover, the disparity between actual funding and that which is commensurate with burden is nearly twice as large for diseases that favour males versus those that favour females.
Conditions that predominantly affect women, such as endometriosis, maternal health, and autoimmune diseases, have been under-researched and underfunded. The effects of this negligence are glaring: women suffer in silence, undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or inadequately treated.
To put it into perspective, endometriosis—a condition affecting 1 in 10 women—can take up to 10 years to be diagnosed, leaving countless women in debilitating pain for much of their reproductive lives.
This exclusion is not only a reflection of medical sexism but also of broader societal misogyny.
The Financial Disparity in Health Research
This lack of research funding perpetuates a vicious cycle: when diseases and conditions affecting women aren’t adequately researched, fewer treatments and solutions are developed, leaving women to suffer with conditions that could potentially be treated or managed with better care.
Beyond clinical trials, the funding for research on women’s health issues also reveals a startling disparity. According to reports, diseases that primarily affect women receive significantly less funding than those that affect men. For example, in the U.S., breast cancer research receives far less government funding compared to prostate cancer, despite both conditions affecting millions.
Women’s health issues have been dismissed, downplayed, or attributed to hysteria or psychological factors. This means if a woman couldn’t “prove” her pain, it often went untreated. This systemic bias persists even today, with studies showing that women are less likely to receive pain relief compared to men when presenting the same symptoms in emergency rooms.
For instance, Endometriosis, a painful disorder affecting 200 million women worldwide, remains grossly underfunded and misunderstood in comparison to male-centric conditions like erectile dysfunction.
The Ripple Effects on Global Women’s Health
For women in low- and middle-income countries, the Gender Health Gap is even more severe. “Women in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not have equal access to resources, such as education, employment, or healthcare compared to men.” reports a study done by Arch Public Health.
Maternal mortality rates remain tragically high, reproductive healthcare is limited, and conditions like cervical cancer—which can be prevented or treated with early detection—are often death sentences due to lack of access to basic medical care.
The Gender Health Gap compounds in communities where women’s health issues aren’t just overlooked but are often seen as secondary to survival concerns. When women are not healthy, families suffer, communities falter, and economies stagnate.
What Women Can Do to Address the Gender Health Gap
While systemic change is needed, there are steps women can take to push for a more equitable healthcare system and bridge the Gender Health Gap. Here are a few:
- Educate and Advocate: Women must become their own health advocates by educating themselves about their bodies and the conditions that affect them. This includes understanding their medical rights, researching symptoms, and pushing for better diagnoses when they feel dismissed by healthcare professionals.
Advocacy also extends beyond personal health to the public sphere—join movements, sign petitions, and demand policy changes that prioritise women’s health research and funding.
- Support Women’s Health Research and Organisations: Women can support organisations that focus on women’s health issues, such as the Endometriosis Foundation, the National Women’s Health Network, or the Black Women’s Health Imperative. Donating to, volunteering for, or spreading awareness about these causes helps to amplify the message that women’s health matters.
- Speak Up in the Doctor’s Office: According to a survey done by HIGGS, “women’s symptoms are frequently misunderstood or minimised, with conditions such as anxiety and depression (4.6%), irritable bowel syndrome (4%), stress (3.6%), period problems (2.8%), and skin conditions (2%) often being mistakenly identified as the root cause of their issues.” If you feel your concerns are not being taken seriously, it’s crucial to speak up. Ask questions, request second opinions, and push for thorough testing. Your voice is a critical tool in ensuring you receive the care you deserve.
- Call for More Inclusive Research: We need more diversity in medical research, not only between the sexes but also across race and ethnicity. Women can call for more inclusive clinical trials and research that represent the full spectrum of female health. This includes advocating for the participation of women of colour, who often face even greater health disparities due to racial biases in healthcare.
- Use Your Platforms: Whether it’s social media, community groups, or your professional network, use your voice to bring attention to the Gender Health Gap. Share stories, amplify important health information, and encourage others to take action. The more visible these issues become, the harder it will be for them to be ignored.
- Push for Policy Change: On a larger scale, women can get involved in pushing for healthcare reforms that prioritise women’s health. This includes advocating for increased funding for women’s health research, demanding accountability from policymakers, and voting for leaders who are committed to addressing these inequities.
The Path Forward
The Gender Health Gap may be deep, but it is not insurmountable. By raising awareness, demanding change, and taking control of our health, women can help bridge this gap for future generations.
Women’s health isn’t a niche issue—it’s a critical component of global well-being. We deserve to have our health concerns treated with the same seriousness and funding that men’s conditions receive.
Women’s lives depend on it.
Let’s continue the fight to bridge the #GenderHealthGap and create a future where every woman receives the care and respect she deserves. The journey ahead is long, but together, we can close this gap.
