It seems obvious that women’s bodies differ from men’s, even at the cellular level. After all, every cell has a sex. Yet science and medicine have historically overlooked these sex- and gender-based differences.
Males have been the default in research—from laboratory animals in preclinical studies to participants in clinical trials. More often than not, drugs, treatments, and devices are designed around male biology. Because women often aren’t included in original dosing trials, nearly all everyday medications—such as aspirin—are in male-specific dosages, often leading women to experience worse side effects than men.
Women’s health conditions and needs—like endometriosis and contraceptives—are also underfunded and under-researched, leading to gaps between women’s and men’s health. Currently, just 4% of all biopharma research and development spending goes toward female-specific conditions.
Women constitute half of the world’s population, so it’s evident that their specific health needs warrant greater funding, research, and attention. I lead the Women’s Health Innovation program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and now more than ever, I’m seeing donors, companies, and countries turn their attention to this underserved aspect of medical research and commit to closing the women’s health gap. I believe that the women’s health field is on the cusp of transformation. Here are four reasons why:
1. A new roadmap shows the highest-return investment opportunities in women’s health
The Women’s Health Innovation Opportunity Map 2023 is an insightful guide developed by members of the Innovation Equity Forum—a group of more than 250 women’s health innovation stakeholders from over 50 countries—that highlights the highest-return areas for investment and global action in women’s health. To help kickstart these investments, our foundation issued a request for proposals (RFP) to address the areas outlined in the Opportunity Map. This RFP received a record-breaking number of applications, and we will announce the finalists for grant funding in the coming months.
2. The trillion-dollar opportunity at the heart of women’s health is revealed
A new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Global Institute, Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies, has revealed the staggering impact of the women’s health gap: Women spend 25% more time in poor health than men. The potential impact of closing this gap? A healthier existence for 3.9 billion women worldwide and an additional US$1 trillion added to the global economy every year, as more women enter the workforce and increase their earning potential.
The investment case shows that by closing the women’s health gap and putting women at the center of health innovation, countries can unlock massive benefits for gender equality and economic potential.
3. A powerful new global alliance is spurring commitments to women’s health
The Global Alliance for Women’s Health is a new public-private coalition co-chaired by Anita Zaidi, president of the Gender Equality Division here at the foundation, and Nísia Trindade Lima, Brazil’s minister of health. The coalition members are united by evidence that women’s health is one of the best investments for societies and economies, and they will make commitments across financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting to help change how women’s health is funded and prioritized.
4. Governments are stepping up investments in critically needed women’s health R&D
In September 2023, the UK announced new funding for global health, with a particular focus on support for research and development (R&D) to improve the health of mothers, babies, and children in low- and middle-income countries. Soon after, the U.S. unveiled the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, a powerful call to action—led by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council—to galvanize the federal government and the private and philanthropic sectors to promote innovation and investment to close research gaps and improve women’s health. In February, the initiative announced US$100 million in federal funding for women’s health R&D.
Women’s health is finally in the spotlight, where it belongs.
Across all our foundation’s areas of work, our goal is to help leaders see that investing in women’s health is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. The data shows that healthier women help unlock the development goals of every country.
Governments, philanthropists, and private-sector companies can look to the recommendations in the new roadmap and report to guide their investments in women’s health innovation. The two documents lay out clear interventions that will advance progress on addressing maternal deaths, preventable health conditions, unplanned pregnancies, and more.
Closing the women’s health gap will lead to large-scale improvements in the quality of women’s lives—and will fulfill the opportunity revealed by the evidence that healthy women help everyone rise.
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