European Parliament report highlights gender gaps in medical research

The report, steered by Irish MEP Billy Kelleher, cleared the FEMM committee with 27 votes in favour, despite opposition from right-wing blocs. Kelleher argues that medicine has historically functioned as a male-dominated preserve, leading to training programmes and academic research that frequently ignore the biological realities of half the population. By excluding groups such as pregnant or breastfeeding women from clinical trials, the current system risks producing data that fails to reflect the needs of women.

To bridge this gap, the recommendations call for the European Medicines Agency to mandate sex-disaggregated data and enforce gender-sensitive research design throughout the development cycle. Beyond clinical methodology, the report highlights a critical shortage of investment in gender-specific healthcare areas. Following the committee’s approval, the document is slated for a plenary session vote in September, where Kelleher aims to secure broader parliamentary support to turn these legislative recommendations into concrete policy.