Experts Identified Critical Gaps in Women's Health
Researchers and leaders highlighted systemic funding and data hurdles that affect health outcomes for women worldwide.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Women’s Health
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Experts gathered at the Women's Health Week Europe conference in London to address systemic inequities in medical research and funding. Participants identified major data gaps and financial hurdles as primary obstacles to improving health outcomes for women.
Why it matters
Persistent data discrepancies and low investment levels limit the development of specialized treatments, even though the World Economic Forum predicts a three-dollar economic gain for every dollar invested in women's health.
A report shared at the conference revealed that 72% of clinical trials fail to aggregate outcomes based on sex, which helps explain why women experience more serious treatment-emergent adverse events than men. This data gap is compounded by the fact that women's health firms received less than 1% of private healthcare investment from 2020 to 2025.
The players
World Economic Forum
An international organization that analyzes economic and social trends to promote global development and policy reform.
The details
Addressing these health inequities requires integrating sex-specific analysis into clinical trial designs to better understand drug safety and efficacy. Systemic change also relies on shifting investment strategies, as companies currently leverage a mix of venture capital, debt, and grants to secure early-stage funding. Increased female representation in financial decision-making roles is noted as a key mechanism to drive future research development.
Timeline
Between 2020 and 2025, private investment in companies focused on women's health remained below 1%.
Europe experienced record-high funding levels for women's health in 2025.
The Women's Health Week Europe conference took place from 7 to 8 October 2026.
Health Landscape
These findings reflect the broader economic and clinical trends observed by the World Economic Forum. The current data disparities indicate a notable departure from inclusive research standards, highlighting a systemic need to prioritize sex-disaggregated analysis in future medicine.
If you are concerned about how a new medication might affect your body, it is worth discussing with your doctor whether clinical trial data for that drug was analyzed by sex. Being aware that women experience more adverse events can help you better advocate for your safety during appointments.
The takeaway
Closing the funding and data gap for women's health is projected to yield significant economic and health benefits globally. In the meantime, patients should feel empowered to ask their providers if treatment plans are grounded in data that accounts for biological sex differences.
Further reading
For more on the current state of clinical research, visit Women’s Health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pharmaceutical Technology.
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Do you trust that current medical research adequately accounts for safety differences between men and women?
