Brussels, 12 December 2024
Speech by Commissioner Lahbib on Gender in Health at the European Parliament:
“The British author Caroline Criado Perez wrote a book called “Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men”. It is about how much of the world is designed with men as the default model, ignoring the specific needs of women.
The title of the book struck me: “Invisible Women”.
As Commissioner for Equality, my goal is to make women more visible, across every area of our societies. I want women to be more than just visible. I want them to lead, to inspire, and to thrive. This is good for women. This is good for men. And this is good for our Union. This is particularly true in the field of health — a topic that touches every corner of our lives.
Today I would like to focus on 3 key areas:
First, we must address how we collect data. For too long, the differences between women and men have been ignored in medical research and treatment. Equality in healthcare research is not optional — it is lifesaving. Our biological differences affect diagnosis, response to treatments, and rehabilitation. Researchers have even been reluctant to include women in their research using, for instance, hormonal cycles to justify the potential unpredictability of the results.
Women face higher rates than men of diseases such as breast cancer, osteoporosis, and auto-immune diseases. Other diseases — like diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular diseases — affect men and women differently. Factors outside the health sector also have a dramatic impact on women’s health — from socio-economic status and education to unfair work divisions and violence against women.
As our European continent ages, women play a vital role as healthcare professionals and caregivers. Almost 80% of health workers in the EU are women. They are the frontline heroes keeping Europe healthy.
Second, we need to mainstream gender across all our health policies. When health systems ignore gender, they ignore reality. We must address the needs of everyone — women, men, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and people with a minority racial or ethnic background. They all have specific needs. They all have different symptoms. And they all respond differently to treatment.
Taking a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work in health policy.
We also need to share best practices among Member States to know what is working, and what is not working, for both women and men. This will lead to more effective and more efficient treatments for everyone. The Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease project [GENCAD] is a good example in the field of chronic diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
Gender sensitivity is also a key part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. It is in our policies, research, and funding.
Women must also be more included in clinical trials. This will mean that women’s needs are better responded to. Women should also play a greater role in developing industry safety standards. Many products and equipment are only tested on a typical male body. Just one example: half of all drivers and passengers are women. Yet, the crash test dummies used to test the safety of cars are based on the average build of a man.
When we fail to take women’s health seriously, it costs women dearly. And it costs society dearly. The European Institute for Gender Equality estimates that violence against women costs the EU nearly €290 billion a year — from medical treatment and legal and housing costs to job loss and childcare. Yet another reason why we need to put into action our Directive on combatting violence against women and domestic violence.
Women are also living with increasing mental health issues. I welcome the recent Council conclusions on gender equality and recognising women’s mental health challenges.
COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on women’s health. Domestic violence skyrocketed across the EU. It also had consequences for women’s access to social services, including sexual and reproductive health services. This is why the ambitious Preparedness Union Strategy that I will put forward in the coming months will include the needs of vulnerable groups and women.
Lastly, we must focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights. They are a key part of women’s health care. The pushback against women’s rights around the world drives us back towards darkness. It is bad for women, bad for families and bad for our societies. We must all fight this. We want a world where girls and women can dream big and achieve their dreams.
A woman’s right to self-determination is at the heart of gender equality and women’s health. I will work to strengthen both our internal and external policies — within the boundaries of our Treaties. Healthcare is a Member State competence. But the EU can take strong action to complement national policies. I will continue to encourage cooperation between Member States and complement their policies on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The case-law of the Council of Europe’s Court of Human Rights is an important basis to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights across the EU.
Gender equality in health is not just about fairness, it is also a pathway to healthier societies. Let’s make it happen — together.
Source – EU Commission