Closing the Gap: Research and Outreach in Women's Health
By Evelina Phipps | BA International Relations and Politics
British women are still navigating a system that many argue was historically “designed by men, for men.” That isn’t just a provocative phrase, it’s evident in the lived experiences of British women today (Pure Unity Health, 2025).
One in three women experience reproductive health issues, yet only 2% of UK medical research funding is spent on pregnancy, childbirth, and female reproductive health. How can a system claim to serve half the population while investing so little in conditions that uniquely affect them (Pure Unity Health, 2025).
For decades, women’s pain has been dismissed, their symptoms minimised, and their diagnoses delayed. Surveys show that 84% of women report not feeling listened to by healthcare professionals, often needing to repeatedly advocate for themselves before receiving answers. That isn’t just frustrating, it’s exhausting and dangerous (Modi, 2022).
So what are the Labour Government doing to close the gap?
The Department of Health and Social Care launched the publication of the Women's Health Strategy for England, the first comprehensive strategy dedicated to improving women’s health. Aiming to prioritise gynaecological conditions, fertility, menopause, menstrual health, and mental health (Department of Health and Social Care, 2025).
The launch of the Women’s Health Strategy in 2022, marked a significant step forward for women. For the first time, women’s health was recognised as requiring a dedicated, national approach. The establishment of new national research initiatives to strengthen the evidence base for women-specific conditions, alongside £25 million of funding to expand local women’s health hubs. These hubs aim to integrate services such as contraception, menopause support, and cervical screening into community settings, improving accessibility and reducing pressure on secondary care. Further investment in Family Hubs was also pledged to enhance perinatal and maternal mental health services, recognising the long-term impact of early intervention for both mothers and children. But the undeniable truth, translating national strategies, does not automatically have a direct effect into a local, impactful level.
As of December 2024, nearly half of patients were still waiting longer than 18 weeks for gynaecology services. Progress is happening, but not fast enough for the women living with chronic pain, untreated menopause symptoms, or delayed diagnoses (Uberoi et al, 2025).
Additionally, untreated menopause alone is estimated to cost the UK economy around £1 billion annually due to women leaving the workforce. When women’s health is neglected, the social and economic consequences ripple far beyond the NHS, unveiling that the inequalities within the NHS aren't just a healthcare issue. (Pure Unity Health, 2025).
Why is inequality so persistent?
One of the deeper structural issues lies in UK research itself. Historically, medical studies have centred on male bodies as the “default,” with women often excluded due to hormonal “complexity.” But complexity should never be an excuse for exclusion. If anything, it should demand greater investment and better-designed research (Lamon & Knowles, 2021).
Recent Guardian data found that women were significantly under-represented within UK medical trials, this constrains women's health from developing further medical knowledge (The Guardian, 2025). Additionally, there are substantially fewer clinical trials involving pregnant women, largely due to ethical and safety concerns surrounding potential risks to the fetus. While these concerns are valid and rooted in a duty of care, the routine exclusion of pregnant women from research has significant consequences (Burrow et al, 2025). Resulting in limited evidence on the safety, dosage, and effectiveness of many medications during pregnancy, meaning that treatments are often prescribed without robust, pregnancy-specific data. Creating uncertainty for both clinicians and patients and may inadvertently increase risk rather than reduce it.
The continued underrepresentation of pregnant women in research deepens existing health inequalities. Gaps in women's health research persist, particularly in areas related to reproductive health, maternal morbidity, and long-term maternal outcomes. As research in male physiology and male-dominant study samples continues to expand, the knowledge base becomes progressively more comprehensive for men, while remaining comparatively limited for women. Over time, this imbalance reinforces systemic disparities in evidence-based care, leaving women especially pregnant women underserved within medical research and healthcare innovation.
If we are serious about closing the gender health gap, we must listen to women and design services around their life experiences.
Reflecting on the Women’s Health Strategy
Upon reflection, the implementation of this strategy is long overdue. It addresses the deeply rooted inequalities that continue to persist for women in today’s society. The strategy aims to advance research, improve understanding of women’s health needs, and ensure that future services are delivered more efficiently, ultimately reducing waiting times and improving outcomes for women.
Improving the standard and quantity of women's health research, is essential in progressing health outcomes globally. Half of the British population are female, and their wellbeing underpins our families, workplaces, and communities. Women are central to the strength of our economy and the building blocks of our society. When their health needs are overlooked or constrained by inequality, the consequences ripple far beyond individuals, they strain healthcare systems, weaken productivity, and erode social stability. If women’s health falters, society does too.
References:
Burrow, R., Hinton, L. and Clarke, M. (2025) ‘Do pregnant people have opportunities to participate in clinical trials? An exploratory survey of NIHR HTA-funded trialists’, Trials, 26(1), p. 239. doi:10.1186/s13063-025-08949-w
Department of Health and Social Care (2021) Our Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy for England. GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-vision-for-the-womens-health-strategy-for-england/our-vision-for-the-womens-health-strategy-for-england\
Department of Health and Social Care (2025) Government announces Women’s Health Strategy to be renewed. GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-womens-health-strategy-to-be-renewed
Gregory, A. (2025) ‘Concerning’ lack of female-only medical trials in UK, say health experts, The Guardian, 7 May. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/07/concerning-lack-of-female-only-medical-trials-in-uk-say-health-experts
Lamon, S. and Knowles, O. (2021) ‘Why are males still the default subjects in medical research?’, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/why-are-males-still-the-default-subjects-in-medical-research-167545
Modi, N. (2022) Closing the gender health gap: the importance of a Women’s health strategy. British Medical Association. Available at: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/closing-the-gender-health-gap-the-importance-of-a-women-s-health-strategy
Pure Unity Health (2025) Addressing the Women’s Health Gap in the NHS. Pure Unity Health. Published 15 April. Available at: https://pureunityhealth.co.uk/resources/blog/addressing-the-womens-health-gap-in-the-nhs/
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2025) A Work in Progress: Evaluating the Women’s Health Strategy. RCOG. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/about-us/campaigning-and-opinions/a-work-in-progress-evaluating-the-women-s-health-strategy/
Uberoi, E., Stiebahl, S. and Burnett, H. (2025) Women’s health. House of Commons Library. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0038/
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