Accelerating Women’s Health: The urgent need for a dedicated Women’s Health Strategy at EU level
Women face persistent health inequalities throughout their lives, rooted in underrepresentation in research and bias in data and diagnostics. This has led to insufficient access to gender-sensitive care; exacerbated by intersecting social, economic and cultural factors that influence health outcomes. Despite progress on gender equality, women’s health remains underserved due to systemic gaps in research, data, investment, and policy.
The EU has taken some steps to address these disparities, but current efforts lack the scale and coordination required. This paper calls for a dedicated EU Women’s Health Strategy before the end of the mandate of the second von der Leyen Commission in 2029 – one that is grounded in intersectionality, takes a life-course approach and is embedded across all relevant policies. The paper outlines a number of key policy recommendations as to how to set the wheels in motion to make this a reality.
Read the full Paper here.
Elizabeth Kuiper is the Associate Director & Head of the Social Europe and Well-being programme at the EPC.
Danielle Brady is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Social Europe and Well-being programme at the EPC.
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