While significant progress has been made toward achieving gender parity across various sectors, the gender health gap remains a pressing issue. Addressing this gap is not just about fairness—it’s about saving lives, improving quality of life, and stimulating economic growth. Here’s why this gap matters and a look at six crucial conditions where it is most evident.
What is the Women’s Health Gap?
The women’s health gap refers to the disparity in healthcare access, treatment, and outcomes between men and women. This gap contributes to 75 million years of life lost each year due to early death or poor health. If this gap were closed, it would give women worldwide an extra seven healthy days per year—amounting to 500 more healthy days over a lifetime.
Economically, the gap has far-reaching consequences. In 2020, just 1% of healthcare research funding was dedicated to women’s health conditions (excluding oncology), despite research indicating that every $1 invested in women’s health could generate $3 in economic growth. According to McKinsey, narrowing the women’s health gap could add $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040, driving greater societal contributions and improved health outcomes for women.
Why Does the Women’s Health Gap Exist?
A recent study reveals the enduring bias in how doctors treat women. Women are less likely to have their pain assessed upon hospital arrival and tend to wait longer for treatment. Such biases stem from long-held stereotypes that view women as “exaggerating” their symptoms, while men are considered more stoic.
Additionally, a 2019 study found that women are diagnosed with health conditions, such as diabetes and cancer, years later than men. This delay is partly due to gender bias and a lack of comprehensive research into women’s health. In her groundbreaking book, Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez highlights how medical research often overlooks female-specific health data, resulting in lives lost and misdiagnoses.
6 Conditions Highlighting the Women Health Gap
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Heart Attacks Despite being the leading cause of death among women, cardiovascular disease remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, often due to misconceptions that it’s a “man’s disease.” Women experience different heart attack symptoms than men, and their hearts are generally smaller, requiring different treatment approaches. Studies show that women are less likely to receive appropriate treatments, such as coronary angiograms, after a heart attack.
Endometriosis Affecting 10% of women globally, endometriosis is often underdiagnosed, with some women waiting years for a proper diagnosis. In the U.S., women often experience delays of over seven years, with Black women facing even longer wait times. Despite its impact, awareness and research remain limited, leaving many women suffering in silence.
Autism Autism is diagnosed at a significantly lower rate in women than in men. Girls often display different symptoms, which leads to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis. Many women learn to “mask” their symptoms, which can delay proper diagnosis and treatment, affecting their mental health as they grow older.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ADHD is often underdiagnosed in women, with many being diagnosed later in life. Symptoms in women often differ from those in men, and traditional research has focused more on male presentations of the condition. However, as more women are diagnosed later in life, efforts to close this gap are beginning to show progress.
Autoimmune Conditions Autoimmune diseases, which are more prevalent in women than men, often go undiagnosed for years. Conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis disproportionately affect women, but research and funding for these diseases remain insufficient. Scientists have recently uncovered molecular evidence that could unlock potential treatments for these conditions.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Women are at greater risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to factors like increased antibiotic use, exposure to healthcare environments, and risks associated with childbirth. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls for more sex- and gender-specific data to better understand and address this growing threat.
Closing the Gap for a Healthier Future
Addressing the women’s health gap requires a concerted effort to recognize gender disparities in medical research, diagnosis, and treatment. By focusing on women-specific health conditions, we can improve outcomes, save lives, and generate significant economic benefits. As the World Economic Forum advocates for change, it’s clear that closing the women’s health gap will not only benefit women but will also create a healthier, more prosperous world for all.
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