Amy Beck
Conference Producer, Women’s Health Innovation Series
Rebecca Baldwin
Portfolio Director, Women’s Health Innovation Series
Where do we stand today — in a world systemically designed for men — as we reach the ‘milestone’ of 30 years of women included in clinical trials?
Historically, women have been excluded from research and clinical trials for a variety of reasons, most notably, the treatment of the male body as the ‘norm.’ It was only in 1993, that the inclusion of women in clinical trials became part of federal law in the United States.
Chronic underrepresentation of women
Thirty years later, the representation gap persists, especially for minority groups. In 2022, women only represented one-third of participants in early-phase clinical trials. Innovation and digital capabilities have progressed drastically; but out of the wealth of data that exists, only a minimal proportion of this includes — or is relevant to — women.
This means we don’t understand women’s bodies and are not equipped with the data necessary to create appropriate solutions to many women’s health diseases or conditions.
Take endometriosis, for example — the second most common gynaecological condition, affecting 1 in 10 women in the UK, and there is still no cure. On average, it takes seven and a half years for a correct diagnosis. This astounding statistic proves the lack of education, research and clinical data on this chronic condition leaving women feeling unheard and unseen.
This gender-based discrimination represents
Alia El-Yassir, Director for Europe & Central Asia, UN Women
a development cost for women as
well as for countries and economies.
The rise of innovators in women’s health
The rise of innovation and advocacy in women’s health (particularly the explosion of ‘Femtech’) provides reassuring steps towards a better understanding of women’s bodies, as it propels this imbalance to the forefront of research for academic institutions, startups, and pharmaceutical corporations.
From personalised care and at-home options to AI-enabled IVF solutions and menopause work benefits, women’s health is gaining traction worldwide, with an estimated global worth of approximately £48 billion by 2030. This explosion of innovative solutions, voices and data present the opportunity to reduce the gender gap and advance health equity.
Eliminating the underrepresentation of women
There is no simple formula to achieving gender equality, but the sooner we can provide sufficient data disaggregated by sex and accurate representation, the closer we will be to balancing the scales.
To accelerate change over the next 30 years, women of all backgrounds must not only be included in clinical trials but in boardrooms and leadership positions across the healthcare ecosystem.
