Sittings · Document
OPINION (2025/2074(INI)) 2026-05-08
On gender inequalities in health, specifically as regards gender-specific conditions
Committee on Public Health · Rapporteur: Catarina Martins
AMENDMENTS
The Committee on Public Health submits the following to the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, as the committee responsible:
Amendment 1
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), ratified by the EU on 28 June 2023, |
Amendment 2
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence1a, _________________ 1a OJ L, 2024/1385, 24.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1385/oj. |
Amendment 3
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the draft Council conclusions of 28 November 2024 on strengthening women’s and girls’ mental health by promoting gender equality, |
Amendment 4
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2020 entitled ‘A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025’ (COM(2020)0152), |
Amendment 5
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the 2024 report prepared for the Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers entitled ‘Case studies on obstetric violence – Experience, analysis, and responses’, |
Amendment 6
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the 2024 study produced for Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality entitled ‘Obstetric and gynaecological violence in the EU – Prevalence, legal frameworks and educational guidelines for prevention and elimination’, |
Amendment 7
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the European Institute for Gender Equality’s Gender Equality Index 2025, |
Amendment 8
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 h (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which entered into force for the EU on 22 January 2011, in accordance with Council Decision 2010/48/EC of 26 November 2009 concerning the conclusion, by the European Community, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities1a, _________________ 1a OJ L 23, 27.1.2010, p. 35, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2010/48(1)/oj. |
Amendment 9
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 i (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the report of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of 19 December 2025 entitled ‘Rising STIs in Europe: report finds critical gaps in testing and prevention policies’, |
Amendment 10
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 j (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Opinion factsheet of the European Committee of the Regions of 14 October 2025 entitled ‘Strengthening women’s rights and gender equality in the EU: A local and regional perspective’, |
Amendment 11
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| A. whereas medical research has historically been male-centric, leading to a lack of understanding of the female anatomy; whereas this systemic inequality in medicine has an impact on the diagnostics, treatment, morbidity and mortality of under-represented sectors of the population; | A. whereas women make up half of the global population yet healthcare systems, including medical training, diagnosis and treatment, are not designed around their needs; whereas common medical interventions are often less effective for women compared to men, resulting in disparities in health outcomes; whereas women are more likely to seek medical help than men, yet often face delayed or incorrect diagnoses, receive inappropriate treatment or have their symptoms dismissed as psychosomatic, reflecting persistent gender bias in medical research, diagnostics and clinical practice1a; whereas there are insufficient resources, research and uptake of practices to address sex and gender differences in healthcare; |
| _________________ | |
| 1a Prenuvo, ‘The most common health misdiagnoses in women—and why they keep happening’. |
Amendment 12
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a(new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Aa. whereas health is a fundamental social right; whereas equal access to timely, affordable and high-quality healthcare – including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sex- and gender-specific conditions – constitutes a pillar of the European Social Fund and should not depend on income, socio-economic and employment status, place of residence, migration status, ethnic minority status, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or any intersection of those factors; |
Amendment 13
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ab. whereas women account for 76 % of healthcare workers in Europe1a; whereas women are more exposed to economic vulnerability, which has consequences for their physical and mental well-being; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a European Institute for Gender Equality, ‘Essential workers’. |
Amendment 14
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ac. whereas women are disproportionately impacted by health conditions, which have a significant economic impact by resulting in reduced productivity and absenteeism; whereas the total annual loss of production caused by migraines in women alone is estimated at EUR 111 billion in indirect costs in the EU; whereas improved health outcomes for women contribute directly to higher labour market participation, reduced absenteeism, increased productivity and long-term sustainability of social protection systems; |
Amendment 15
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| B. whereas, although regulatory developments have improved inclusivity in clinical trials, the representation of women remains below that of men and the disparity is particularly acute for pregnant and breastfeeding women6; | B. whereas, although regulatory developments have improved inclusivity in clinical trials, the representation of women remains below that of men and the disparity is particularly acute for pregnant and lactating individuals6; whereas this applies not only to clinical trials, but also to preclinical, epidemiological, behavioural and health system research, where the failure to systematically address sex and gender differences leads to a lack of scientific rigour and limits the generalisability of research findings to women, thereby undermining the safety and effectiveness of medicines and treatments for women; |
| _________________ | _________________ |
| 6 Fewer than 0.4 % of trials in the EU include pregnant or breastfeeding women according to data from the Clinical Trials Information System cited by the European Medicines Agency on 4 June 2025. European Medicines Agency, ‘New guideline on inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding individuals in clinical trials’, 2025, https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/new-guideline-inclusion-pregnant-breastfeeding-individuals-clinical-trials. | 6 Fewer than 0.4 % of trials in the EU include pregnant or breastfeeding women according to data from the Clinical Trials Information System cited by the European Medicines Agency on 4 June 2025. European Medicines Agency, ‘New guideline on inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding individuals in clinical trials’, 2025, https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/new-guideline-inclusion-pregnant-breastfeeding-individuals-clinical-trials. |
Amendment 16
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ba. whereas, as a consequence of the lack of sufficiently balanced representation in the development stage of drugs, women experience adverse drug reactions 50 % to 75 %1a more often than men; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a Zucker, I. and Prendergast, B. J. ‘Sex differences in pharmacokinetics predict adverse drug reactions in women’, Biology of Sex Differences, June 2020. |
Amendment 17
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Bb. whereas generic medicinal products are authorised on the basis of bioequivalence studies, which are still conducted predominantly on male participants and are not systematically analysed for sex differences; whereas reference medicinal products have historically been tested mainly on men; whereas differences in formulation between generic and reference medicinal products may affect bioavailability, raising uncertainties as to whether bioequivalence demonstrated in men can be equally assumed for women; |
Amendment 18
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Bc. whereas although approximately 90 % of women require medication and around 70 % take at least one prescription medication during pregnancy, only a very small proportion of medicines commonly used during pregnancy have been tested in controlled human clinical trials, resulting in major gaps in evidence on safety, efficacy and appropriate dosing1a; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a Davaki, K., ‘Gender Inequalities in Medical Research, Drug Development and Access to Care’, European Parliament, Directorate-General for Citizens’ Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs, November 2025. |
Amendment 19
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ca. whereas women’s health data is often not collected, not published in the public domain or incomplete; whereas improving the accuracy of data collection and the setting of standards for sex- and gender-based data collection could help to shed light on diseases, particularly for women-specific conditions; |
Amendment 20
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Cb. whereas the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare risks exacerbating gender inequality by replicating historical biases, as algorithms are often trained with male-dominated data, leading to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis for women; whereas these biases, stemming from non-representative datasets, can cause AI tools to downplay female medical symptoms; |
Amendment 21
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| D. whereas 72 % of studies on drug trials fail to provide sex and gender-disaggregated data8; | D. whereas the collection of sex- and gender-disaggregated data should become mandatory in order to train AI in healthcare to ensure safety, accuracy and equity in digitalised health through better inclusion of physiological differences and the tracking of women’s health across the different stages of life; stresses that sex- and gender-disaggregated data allows AI to recognise critical differences in disease progression, symptoms and drug metabolism between men and women; highlights that addressing these gaps enables higher precision medicine and reduces the risk of misdiagnosis, which has historically been higher for women; |
| _________________ | |
| 8 Care4Everybody study, ‘Mind the Gap: Costs, consequences and correction of sex and gender inequality in medicine’ (2023), https://www.care4everybody.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Mind-the-Gap-Costs-Consequences-and-Correction-of-Gender-Inequality-in-Medicine.pdf. |
Amendment 22
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| E. whereas the ability of individuals to exercise their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) must be guaranteed in order to achieve gender equality; | E. whereas sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) include access to affordable and high-quality contraceptive services, free, safe and accessible menstrual products, free, safe and legal abortion care, fertility care, science-based information, age- appropriate sexuality and relationship education, as well as quality obstetric and gynaecological care; |
Amendment 23
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ea. whereas full, effective and universal access to SRHR is a fundamental human right and a pillar of gender equality, social justice, privacy and personal autonomy, and is essential to ensure the dignity, health and equal participation of women and girls in all areas of life; whereas despite some progress, access to these services and to information, in practice, remains partially unavailable in some Member States; |
Amendment 24
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Eb. whereas obstetric and gynaecological violence, including verbal abuse, discrimination and non-consensual procedures during pregnancy, childbirth and abortion care, constitutes a violation of women’s rights and dignity1a; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a Report of the French High Council for Equality between Women and Men of 26 June 2018 entitled ‘Les actes sexistes durant le suivi gynécologique et obstétrical’. |
Amendment 25
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ec. whereas the unmet need for contraception undermines bodily autonomy and global sustainable development, with unintended pregnancies accounting for approximately half of all pregnancies worldwide each year1a; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a UN Population Fund, ‘Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended—a global crisis, says new UNFPA report’. |
Amendment 26
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ed. whereas women with disabilities continue to be subjected to unnecessary, harmful, irreversible or non-consensual medical treatments and interventions, including forced sterilisation, which remains a reality in some parts of the EU1a; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a European Disability Forum, ‘EDF Report - September 2022: Forced sterilisation of persons with disabilities in the European Union’. |
Amendment 27
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ee. whereas one in six people worldwide face infertility1a; whereas in the EU, infertility affects approximately 25 million people, with women disproportionately affected by both the social stigma of infertility and the physical burden of treatment; whereas endocrine-disrupting chemicals increase the risk of reproductive disorders by interfering with male and female hormonal systems, contributing to declining fertility rates, adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term health consequences1b; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a Report by the World Health Organization of 3 April 2023 entitled ‘Infertility Prevalence Estimates, 1990-2021’. | |
| 1b Svingen, T., ‘Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and reproductive health: With focus on the developmental window of susceptibility’, Annales d’Endocrinologie, June 2025. |
Amendment 28
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fa. whereas gender-based violence in all its forms, including physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence, and female genital mutilation and its medicalisation, constitute serious violations of fundamental rights and major public health issues with profound and long-lasting impacts on women’s physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health; whereas gender-based violence increases the risk of chronic illness, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder; whereas certain socio-economic factors increase women’s exposure to gender-based violence; |
Amendment 29
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fb. whereas eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa are among the most enfeebling psychiatric conditions that affect women, with at least one person dying as a direct result of an eating disorder every 62 minutes1a; whereas anorexia nervosa has one of the highest mortality rates among psychiatric disorders in Europe, estimated at between 5 % and 10 %1b; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a https://breakbingeeating.com/binge-eating-disorder-statistics/. | |
| 1b Frostad, S. and Bentz, M., ‘Anorexia nervosa: Outpatient treatment and medical management’, World Journal of Psychiatry, 2022. |
Amendment 30
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| G. whereas endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting 10-15 % of women of reproductive age10 ; | G. whereas endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are chronic conditions that can cause severe pain, heavy bleeding, fatigue and infertility, and that affect 10 %-15 % of women of reproductive age10; whereas uterine fibroids affect 50 % to 80 % of women by the age of 501a; whereas premenstrual dysphoric disorder affects at least 1.6 % of women; whereas chronic pelvic pain affects approximately 4 % to 16 % of women1b; whereas osteoporosis and autoimmune diseases, as well as musculoskeletal disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis, gout and back pain, continue to be frequently minimised in clinical practice, underfunded and under-researched1c; |
| _________________ | _________________ |
| 10 Becker, K., Heinemann, K., Imthurn, B. Marions, L. Moehner, S. et al. ‘Real world data on symptomology and diagnostic approaches of 27,840 women living with endometriosis’, Scientific Reports Vol. 11, No. 20404, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99681-3; Eder, C. and Roomaney R., ‘Transgender and non-binary people’s perception of their healthcare in relation to their endometriosis’, International Journal of Transgender Health, Vol. 25, No. 4, 2025, 911-925, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13591053241266249. | 10 Becker, K., Heinemann, K., Imthurn, B. Marions, L. Moehner, S. et al. ‘Real world data on symptomology and diagnostic approaches of 27,840 women living with endometriosis’, Scientific Reports Vol. 11, No. 20404, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99681-3; Eder, C. and Roomaney R., ‘Transgender and non-binary people’s perception of their healthcare in relation to their endometriosis’, International Journal of Transgender Health, Vol. 25, No. 4, 2025, 911-925, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13591053241266249. |
| 1a Center for Women’s Health, ‘Fibroids: More Common than You Think’. 1b Dydyk, A. M., Singh, C., Gupta, N., ‘Chronic Pelvic Pain’, 2025 | |
| 1c Woolf, A. D. and Pfleger, B., ‘Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions’, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2003. |
Amendment 31
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ha. whereas, according to the World Health Organization, climate change constitutes one of the greatest threats to global health today and has differentiated and disproportionate impacts on women and girls, particularly in relation to sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health; whereas prevention and limiting exposure to risk factors are fundamental strategies for protecting women’s health; |
Amendment 32
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Hb. whereas the exposome approach considers the totality of environmental, chemical, physical, biological, social and behavioural exposures across an individual’s lifetime and provides a comprehensive framework for targeted prevention; whereas studies have shown that women are subject to specific exposure patterns – including during pregnancy – that affect their health and that of the developing child; |
Amendment 33
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Hc. whereas in 2024, the health costs in the European Economic Area attributed to just four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – namely PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA – were estimated at EUR 500 million for maternal hypertensive disorders, EUR 2.5 billion for endometriosis and EUR 10.5 billion1a for time-to-pregnancy/female infertility; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a These figures are based on a scenario of medium sensitivity, established through analysis by characterising low, medium and high scenarios of human health impacts and costs from exposure to four PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and PFHxS) and up to 13 health risks/endpoints (European Commission, ‘The cost of PFAS pollution for our society – Final report’, 2026). |
Amendment 34
Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Hd. whereas awareness, health literacy and prevention are essential components of women’s health, as they enable early diagnosis, reduce avoidable risks and inequalities, and give women the opportunity to make informed decisions about their bodies and health throughout their lives; |
Amendment 35
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| I. whereas 85 % of women experience menopause symptoms and by 2030, an estimated 1.2 billion women will be experiencing menopause globally11 ; | I. whereas reproductive and hormonal transitions such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause have a profound impact on women’s physical, mental and social well-being throughout their lives; whereas these transitions are often stigmatised, misunderstood or insufficiently addressed in health systems, workplaces and training curricula; whereas perimenopause and menopause represent critical life transitions with specific biological and social needs, but remain under-researched and underfunded; whereas the persistent lack of accessible, comprehensive and evidence-based menopause care contributes to social stigma, undermines mental and physical health and well-being, leads to measurable deterioration in overall quality of life, and has social and economic consequences, impacting women’s participation in the workforce; |
| _________________ | |
| 11 Davaki, K., study requested by the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, ‘Gender Inequalities in Medical Research, Drug Development and Access to Care’, Policy Department for Citizens, Equality and Culture, Directorate-General for Citizens’ Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs, European Parliament, 2025, p. 86, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2025/778519/IUST_STU(2025)778519_EN.pdf. |
Amendment 36
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ja. whereas women with metabolic diseases such as diabetes receive their diagnosis around four and a half years later than men; whereas cancer is diagnosed on average two and a half years later in women than in men1a; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a https://www.biotechniques.com/news/women-are-diagnosed-later-than-men/#:~:text=A%20study%20conducted%20by%20researchers,age%20of%20diagnosis%20than%20men. |
Amendment 37
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| L. whereas cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the EU with a higher female than male mortality rate, despite prevailing societal misconceptions13; | L. whereas in the EU, cardiovascular diseases account for 40 % of all female deaths – more than all cancers combined; whereas women are 20 % more likely than men to die following a heart attack due to misdiagnosis of their symptoms; whereas these perceptions contribute to reduced awareness of cardiovascular risks among both women and healthcare professionals and lower participation in cardiovascular screenings; whereas several reproductive health conditions such as infertility attributed to ovulatory disorders and endometriosis, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, as well as the use of hormonal contraceptives, the transition to menopause, metabolic disorders and diabetes, are all linked to increased cardiovascular risk; |
| _________________ | |
| 13 Eurostat, Statistics Explained, ‘Cardiovascular diseases statistics’, data extracted in July 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Cardiovascular_diseases_statistics. |
Amendment 38
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| M. whereas 14 % of LGBTQI+ people have reported experiencing discrimination in healthcare settings and many Member States provide only limited access to transgender-specific healthcare; | M. whereas poverty and social exclusion have a significant impact on health outcomes and access to healthcare, with a disproportionate and intersectional impact on women; whereas multiple and intersecting barriers to accessing healthcare services are encountered in particular by refugee and ethnic minority women, women living in poverty and unhoused women, women in precarious employment or with unpaid care responsibilities, older women, women with disabilities, women residing in rural and socio-economically disadvantaged areas and individuals from LGBTQI+ communities; whereas inequalities in income, unpaid care responsibilities and employment increase women’s risk of poverty and, consequently, of poorer health; |
Amendment 39
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ma. whereas racialised patients, particularly women of Mediterranean origin or people of colour, report facing racism and dismissal of their complaints of pain (even being attributed to ‘Morbus Mediterraneus’), which can have serious consequences, including undertreatment, misdiagnoses and a loss of trust in medical institutions; |
Amendment 40
Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Mb. whereas people in low- and middle-income countries face disproportionate gender-related health inequalities compared to high-income countries in terms of mortality and serious morbidity, notably in relation to SRHR; |
Amendment 41
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| N. whereas, in 2020, only 5 % of global research and development funding was allocated to women’s health research14 ; | N. whereas research funding is often not proportional to disease burden, and conditions that predominantly affect women continue to be severely underfunded and under-researched compared to diseases that primarily impact men; |
| _________________ | |
| 14 Nature Reviews Bioengineering, ‘Funding research on women’s health’, Vol. 2, 2024, pages 797-798, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-024-00253-7. |
Amendment 42
Motion for a resolution
Recital O (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| O. whereas access to basic healthcare services and to safe, clean and affordable water and sanitation are public goods and fundamental determinants of physical and mental health, and play a crucial role in disease prevention, chronic condition management and overall well-being throughout all stages of life; whereas inequalities in access to water and sanitation disproportionately affect people living in poverty, inadequate housing, and rural or remote areas, and have a specific impact on women, children, older people and persons with disabilities; |
Amendment 43
Motion for a resolution
Recital P (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| P. whereas clinical practice guidelines often do not reflect best practice clinical care for women, including the understanding of sex-based differences in the presentation and treatment of health conditions; |
Amendment 44
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Q. whereas, in order to provide the best care, healthcare professionals should be equipped with accurate and up-to-date knowledge of biological differences, including sex- and gender-specific manifestations of symptoms, reflected in the implementation of differentiated diagnosis and targeted treatments; |
Amendment 45
Motion for a resolution
Recital R (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| R. whereas the persistent underinvestment in women’s health requires stronger public action and targeted funding, especially to address medical and maternity desertification; |
Amendment 46
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 1. Stresses that gender inequalities in health are multifaceted with systemic inequalities resulting from decades of medical research based on the male anatomy, which in turn has shaped the entire cycle of care from diagnostics to treatment; | 1. Stresses that gender inequalities in health are multifaceted and a violation of fundamental rights, with systemic inequalities resulting from decades of medical research based on the able-bodied male anatomy, which in turn has shaped the entire cycle of care from diagnostics to treatment; |
Amendment 47
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2. Highlights that inequalities in healthcare are compounded by intersectional inequalities, for example, based on a person’s socio-economic status and those experienced by people from ethnic minority or migrant communities and the LGBTQI+ community; points out that inequalities are also evident in gender-specific conditions, as research into these conditions has been repeatedly underfunded; | 2. Highlights that inequalities in healthcare are compounded by intersectional experiences and persistent forms of inequality, including geographical disparities in access to specialised healthcare services; highlights that such inequalities also include unequal exposure to environmental hazards and pollution; calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure equitable access to affordable, high-quality and sex- and gender-responsive healthcare for all; stresses the need to address existing barriers that women in all their diversity face in accessing timely diagnosis and treatment; |
Amendment 48
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2a. Calls on the Commission to address geographical disparities in access to diagnosis and treatment of gender-specific conditions, particularly affecting women in rural, remote and economically disadvantaged regions, through EU-level coordination, funding and knowledge-sharing mechanisms; |
Amendment 49
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2b. Stresses the role of civil society organisations in supporting women’s health and rights, particularly for those in vulnerable situations, by providing accessible services and advocacy, acting as a bridge between patients and public institutions, and contributing to the protection of fundamental rights, equal access to care and more inclusive and accountable healthcare policies; expresses concern about the shrinking civic space and decreasing funding available for civil society and for organisations working on women’s health and rights across the EU; |
Amendment 50
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 3. Implores policymakers to take a holistic approach to addressing inequalities and to correct discrepancies while innovative new treatments and procedures are developed; | 3. Stresses that women’s health, including the prevention and treatment of gender-specific conditions throughout the life course, should be recognised as an integral part of the fundamental rights and social rights framework in the EU; implores policymakers to take a holistic and rights-based approach to addressing inequalities and to correct discrepancies with measurable targets and accountability as innovative new treatments and procedures are developed; implores policymakers to take a holistic approach to addressing inequalities and to correct discrepancies while innovative new treatments and procedures are developed; |
Amendment 51
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 4. Encourages the Commission to include clear and binding targets to address inequalities in health and to implement a transparent monitoring system for these targets; | 4. Encourages the Commission to include clear, measurable and binding targets to address inequalities in health – notably those related to sex and gender – and to implement a transparent monitoring system for these targets using public and comparable indicators based on disaggregated data, including by sex and, where available, by gender (and where such data are not available, they should be developed as soon as possible), covering women-specific life stages and conditions and reflecting the gaps in access to care and information; calls for follow-up actions where targets are not met, including a reassessment of funding priorities; calls for corrective measures to be implemented, in accordance with new available data and indicators; |
Amendment 52
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 4a. Calls for the incorporation of a sex- and gender-informed perspective in all EU health legislation and initiatives such as the cardiovascular health plan, the forthcoming European biotech act and the assessment of the implementation of Europe’s beating cancer plan; |
Amendment 53
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 4b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address the specific healthcare needs of LGBTQI+ women and gender diverse people, including access to preventative care, treatment and trans-specific healthcare; |
Amendment 54
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 4c. Stresses that sex- and gender-responsive policies in prevention and early detection must constitute a central pillar of EU action on health equity; underlines that risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) affect women and men differently; |
Amendment 55
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 4d. Calls on the Commission to integrate a sex- and gender-responsive approach into the EU’s environmental and chemicals policies, including the chemicals strategy for sustainability; calls for particular attention to be paid to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and PFAS, noting their disproportionate impact on women’s hormonal health, including increased risk of breast cancer and endometriosis, fertility problems and adverse effects on foetal development; calls for stricter regulation of endocrine-disrupting substances and for transparent labelling of everyday products, including cosmetics and menstrual products, to ensure informed, safe and sustainable consumer choices; |
Amendment 56
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 4e. Stresses that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the health consequences of climate-related events such as heat stress, vector-borne diseases, food insecurity and displacement; stresses the need to adopt an exposome approach in research to systematically evaluate how different kinds of exposure interact with sex- and gender-specific health factors, how they lead to an increased risk of developing NCDs and how they affect prenatal and postnatal health; |
Amendment 57
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 5. Expresses concern that despite improvements to inclusivity in clinical trials, the representation of women remains below that of men; stresses that there are no inclusivity requirements in the pre-trial phase and that the majority of animal testing is still conducted on males of the species only15 ; calls on the Commission to introduce further measures to address the ongoing imbalance in clinical trial participation; | 5. Expresses concern that despite improvements to inclusivity in clinical trials, the representation of women remains below that of men; stresses that there are no inclusivity requirements in the pre-trial phase and that the majority of animal testing is still only conducted on males of the species15; calls on the Commission to implement mandatory requirements for sex- and gender-responsive research design throughout the full research cycle, including in the pre-trial phase to address the ongoing imbalance in clinical trial participation; underlines the significant biological, anatomical and physiological gender differences between women and men, and calls for medical and pharmaceutical research and development to address discrimination and obstacles and ensure equal access to treatment and care for women; |
| _________________ | _________________ |
| 15 Galea, L.A.M. and Parekh, R.S., ‘Ending the neglect of women’s health in research’, BMJ, Vol. 381, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37308180/. | 15 Galea, L.A.M. and Parekh, R.S., ‘Ending the neglect of women’s health in research’, BMJ, Vol. 381, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37308180/. |
Amendment 58
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 6. Welcomes the EMA’s intended adoption of new guidelines on the inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding individuals in clinical trials; urges the EMA to adopt similar guidelines to improve the inclusion of other under-represented communities; | 6. Welcomes the EMA’s intended adoption of new guidelines on the inclusion of expecting and lactating individuals in clinical trials, without compromising the safety of the expecting individual and child; urges the relevant authorities dealing with clinical trials to introduce binding targets for the representation of women, as well as expecting and lactating individuals, in clinical trials; urges the EMA to adopt similar guidelines to improve the inclusion of other under-represented communities such as older women; calls on the Commission to ensure that medicines are tested in a way that reflects their likely user groups – for example, if a medicine is primarily prescribed to older women, it should also primarily be tested on that group; urges the EMA to ensure that the evaluation and authorisation of generic medicinal products adequately consider sex- and gender-specific differences in testing and analysis, with a view to ensuring equal safety and efficacy for all patients; |
Amendment 59
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7. Stresses that the lack of understanding of sex- and gender-based differences in health is exacerbated by the fact that the data outcomes of research are rarely disaggregated by sex; calls on the Commission to make sex-disaggregated data mandatory in all EU-funded projects; | 7. Stresses that the lack of understanding of sex-, gender- and disability-based differences in health is exacerbated by the fact that the data outcomes of research are not sufficiently disaggregated; calls on the Commission to make sex-, gender- and disability-disaggregated data mandatory in all EU-funded health projects and initiatives, such as the European Health Data Space and the European Reference Networks, and to propose guidelines on the harmonisation of EU-wide standards for disaggregated data collection; |
Amendment 60
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7a. Recognises that biotechnology and advanced therapy medicinal products offer unprecedented opportunities for addressing unmet medical needs and reducing the gender health gap; warns, however, that without a proactive approach, these innovations may mirror existing biases; underlines the necessity of integrating sex- and gender-specific considerations throughout the entire life cycle of a product from early-stage research to clinical validation; calls on the Commission to ensure that sex- and gender-specific considerations are integrated into the development, testing and assessment of biopharmaceutical innovation, clinical trials and manufacturing supported by EU funding; |
Amendment 61
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7b. Calls for the Commission, the EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) regulatory network to ensure the balanced representation of women in multi-country clinical trials, to ensure that all medicinal products are safe and effective for the entire population, and to make safe sex- and gender-responsive medicinal products a competitive advantage for the European life sciences and biotechnology ecosystem; |
Amendment 62
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 8a. Urges the Commission and the Member States to set and achieve ambitious targets for equal access to high-quality sex- and gender-responsive screenings for cancers (including breast, prostate, cervical, lung and colorectal) and cardiovascular risks, as well as to reproductive health services and screenings for other conditions such as osteoporosis; emphasises the need for accessible, personal budgeting and community-based services, including mobile screening units and telemedicine, specifically targeting women in rural, remote and disadvantaged areas to reduce health inequalities; calls for the development and uptake of preventive cancer vaccination programmes, especially for human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B, influenza and RSV, in order to protect pregnant women and those with cardiovascular risk factors, as well as to address sex and gender inequalities in HIV prevention and care; |
Amendment 63
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 8b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop and fund targeted, evidence-based awareness-raising and communication campaigns on disease prevention, health promotion and health literacy, with a particular focus on diseases that disproportionately affect women; |
Amendment 64
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 10. Considers it essential that the Member States integrate gender-sensitive healthcare training into their medical curricula; | 10. Considers it essential that the Member States integrate mandatory sex- and gender-responsive, intersectional and patient-centred healthcare training into their medical and nursing curricula as well as continuing professional development; stresses that this should include structured training on gender-specific and life-course conditions and the needs of women in all their diversity, and cover the gender bias in diagnosis, treatment, clinical research and pain management; further stresses that this should include sex- and gender-based violence prevention, identification and response, reflecting sex- and gender-based differences, including the needs and experiences of transgender, gender-diverse and vulnerable populations; calls on the Commission to encourage the exchange of best practices and knowledge on how the healthcare workforce can be better trained on and more attentive to sex- and gender-responsive healthcare; |
Amendment 65
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 10a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote the creation of multidisciplinary care cooperation strategies with different clinical specialities, and to support the establishment of multidisciplinary women’s health centres with a life-course approach across the EU, designed to provide integrated, gender-responsive and continuous care for women from adolescence through to menopause and older age; stresses that such centres should bring together expertise in diverse medical areas, addressing both female-specific and female-prevalent conditions; stresses the potential of women’s health centres with a life-course approach in serving as experimental research and innovation hubs and as centres of excellence that generate and disseminate knowledge to healthcare professionals and systems across Member States; calls for the establishment of a European reference network on women’s health, building on the model of existing European reference networks for rare diseases, in order to strengthen research collaboration, improve clinical practice and ensure that women’s specific health needs are systematically addressed across the EU; |
Amendment 66
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 10b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to harmonise the framework for midwifery training, professional rights and scope of practice across the EU; stresses that, in many countries, midwives do not have prescribing rights or professional autonomy, which undermines their ability to deliver timely and appropriate care, particularly in rural and marginalised communities; calls for EU-level guidelines and the mutual recognition of qualifications to ensure that midwives can practise safely and, where appropriate, independently, and can provide high-quality maternal, reproductive and sexual health services for all women; |
Amendment 67
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11a. Calls on the Member States to guarantee affordable universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services; calls on the Commission to issue clear recommendations to Member States on SRHR in line with public health and human rights standards; encourages the Member States to implement comprehensive, age-appropriate, science-based sexuality and relationship education as a key tool for reducing inequalities, detecting what qualifies as violence, and empowering women and girls; stresses that free, high-quality and environmentally sustainable menstrual products free from harmful chemicals should be accessible for all, regardless of socio-economic status and age; |
Amendment 68
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11b. Expresses deep concern over the growing influence of sexist and anti-gender movements in the EU that seek to roll back the rights of women and LGBTIQ+ people and restrict access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights; |
Amendment 69
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11c. Stresses that prevention is key to addressing the spread of STIs; encourages the Member States to effectively curb HIV and STIs by updating their national strategies, removing barriers to testing and strengthening data collection on STIs to better target and improve prevention efforts; stresses the need to address the unique biological and structural vulnerabilities of all genders, in all their diversity; recalls that untreated STIs can have long-term consequences for reproductive health, including infertility, disproportionately affecting women; highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment as part of a sex- and gender-responsive approach to healthcare; stresses that antimicrobial resistance in certain STIs represents a serious and growing threat to public health1a,1b; calls for an EU roadmap on sexual and reproductive health that includes a pillar on STIs and that systematically integrates the health needs of individuals of all ages, sex- and gender-responsive STI prevention and early diagnosis measures; | |
| _________________ | |
| 1a Davaki, K., ‘Gender Inequalities in Medical Research, Drug Development and Access to Care’, November 2025. 1b WHO, ‘Growing antibiotic resistance forces updates to recommended treatment for sexually transmitted infections’, 2016. |
Amendment 70
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11d. Calls on the Member States to ensure timely and equitable access for all to fertility treatment, including single women and female same-sex couples, regardless of their age, providing evidence-based, reliable public information on fertility through a rights-based approach that supports reproductive autonomy, with the support of the Commission through guidance, data collection and the exchange of best practices; |
Amendment 71
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that individuals experiencing infertility or pregnancy loss have access to affordable, high-quality and equitable fertility and miscarriage-related healthcare services; stresses the importance of integrated mental health support and counselling to address the emotional and psychological impact of infertility and miscarriage; calls for public health strategies, insurance coverage and clinical guidance that prioritise patient autonomy, informed choice and comprehensive, non-stigmatising care for all individuals seeking support; |
Amendment 72
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11f. Expresses concern about medically unnecessary treatments carried out without full and informed consent, including on intersex people, as well as coercive practices such as forced sterilisation, which continue to affect women with disabilities in the EU; notes that the persistent medical discrimination and systemic dismissal of women’s experiences in healthcare contribute to delayed treatment seeking and diminished trust in health systems; |
Amendment 73
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11g. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise, prevent and address gynaecological and obstetric violence, including non-consensual, abusive or coercive medical procedures, verbal abuse, discrimination, dismissive treatment such as delaying or denying women’s reproductive health concerns, and violations of bodily autonomy in gynaecological and obstetric care, as a form of gender-based violence and a violation of women’s rights and dignity; notes that examples of gynaecological violence include performing episiotomies or perineal cutting during childbirth without explicit or informed consent, and routine dismissal of women’s reported pain or symptoms in reproductive healthcare, as well as coercive practices, such as forced sterilisation; notes the severe impacts that such violence may have on the physical, mental and social well-being of women and intersex people; |
Amendment 74
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 h (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11h. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote respectful maternity care and to establish complaint mechanisms, data collection and training for healthcare professionals on obstetric violence; |
Amendment 75
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 i (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11i. Regrets the fact that, despite the huge unmet need for contraception globally, the EU has not funded the development of novel contraceptives since 2021; recognises that the burden of contraception – physically, financially and mentally – is disproportionally borne by women; |
Amendment 76
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 j (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11j. Calls on the Commission to support the Member States in ensuring universal access to affordable, safe and diverse contraceptive methods; stresses that women’s autonomy in choosing contraception must be fully respected, including their right to receive complete and comprehensible information on the benefits and potential risks and side effects of different contraceptive methods, enabling informed consent; calls on the Commission to invest in innovative research and the development of contraceptive options for all genders, in particular for men, with the aim of achieving greater gender equality and shared responsibility in family planning; underlines that free, comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education and unbiased medical counselling are essential to empower individuals to make informed, autonomous choices about their reproductive health; |
Amendment 77
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12. Reiterates its call on the Commission to set up a voluntary, solidarity-based, opt-in EU financial mechanism that would enable Member States to provide abortion care to people who cannot access it in their home country, without interfering with national laws and regulations; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to bring forward a proposal to this effect; | 12. Reiterates its call on the Commission to set up a voluntary, solidarity-based, opt-in EU financial mechanism that would enable Member States to provide abortion care to people who cannot access it in their home country, without interfering with national laws and regulations; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to bring forward a proposal to this effect and to allocate specific funds for Member States to ensure all European women have access to safe and legal abortion services, in line with the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ European Citizens’ Initiative; |
Amendment 78
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12a. Stresses that access to safe and legal abortion, contraception and sexual education should be guaranteed regardless of socio-economic status and age; calls on the Commission to ensure that the promotion of equal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare is explicitly reflected in the programming and mid-term review of European Social Fund Plus operational programmes, and to publish, on an annual basis, a public assessment of the uptake and impact of European Social Fund Plus funding in supporting access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, including data disaggregated by region and socio-economic status; |
Amendment 79
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12b. Urges the Commission and the Member States to adopt a multidisciplinary life-course approach to women’s health; notes with concern the persistent sex and gender bias in the assessment of pain, where women’s self-reported experiences are often underestimated or dismissed; calls for the development of sex- and gender-specific diagnostic criteria and clinical guidelines for diseases such as diabetes, migraines, memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, and incontinence, taking into appropriate account hormonal fluctuations (menstruation, pregnancy, menopause); calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise long COVID as a significant public health and gender equality challenge, given that women are disproportionately affected and often face medical dismissal or delays in diagnosis; further underlines the need to address gender-specific occupational risks and promote workplace prevention strategies to maintain workforce participation for women with chronic conditions; |
Amendment 80
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12c. Highlights the large differences in the quality of perinatal and postnatal services in the Member States; highlights the under-recognised issue of postpartum depression and stresses the significant role that appropriate policies can play in preventing such conditions; urges European and national mental health strategies and relevant women’s health initiatives to explicitly address perinatal and postpartum mental health; |
Amendment 81
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12d. Stresses the need for research on the health outcomes of different parental leave models, e.g. father-inclusive or flexible options, and their effect on the parents’ physical and mental health, especially for women; stresses the importance of conducting reliable impact assessments on the effects of new and flexible parental leave models on women’s maternal health, namely the impact on physical recovery, mental health and returning to work; |
Amendment 82
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address the impact of online hate speech on mental health, particularly for women; stresses the importance of tackling the root causes of sex- and gender-based harassment and discrimination on social media; urges the Commission to legally recognise gender-based harassment, including online harassment, as criminalised hate speech; |
Amendment 83
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12f. Stresses the need to fully integrate mental health care into the diagnosis and treatment of sex- and gender-specific conditions; calls on the Commission and the Member States to address the mental health needs of women, recognising that women report lower levels of well-being and higher rates of depression and psychological distress than men, and taking particular note of the vulnerabilities affecting teenage girls, young women and older women; stresses the importance of sex- and gender-responsive prevention, early intervention and support services, including accessible mental health care, community-based programmes and awareness campaigns; |
Amendment 84
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12g. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that health systems are equipped to prevent, identify and respond to sex- and gender-based violence by including sex- and gender-responsive, patient-centred and trauma-informed care approaches; urges the Member States to establish clear pathways between health, social and specialised care services and support organisations for victims of sex- and gender-based violence – including female genital mutilation, forced sterilisation and gynaecological and obstetric violence – ensuring accessibility for all, including migrants, persons with disabilities and individuals from the LGBTQI+ community; |
Amendment 85
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 h (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12h. Calls for mandatory training for healthcare professionals, emergency responders and law enforcement authorities on identifying, responding to and documenting cases of gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation, in a sex- and gender-responsive and victim-centred manner; |
Amendment 86
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 i (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12i. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to launch awareness-raising campaigns and dedicate funding for research on the prevention of eating disorders; |
Amendment 87
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 13. Deplores the fact that since the inception of the EU’s Community Research and Development Information Service almost 40 years ago, only 10 of the 145 983 EU-funded projects have focused specifically on endometriosis16 ; | 13. Deplores the fact that since the inception of the EU’s Community Research and Development Information Service almost 40 years ago, only 10 of the 145 983 EU-funded projects have focused specifically on endometriosis16; stresses that this underinvestment contributes to underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis and delayed treatment; calls for targeted EU funding and actions to support endometriosis research, including the development and validation of less invasive and earlier diagnostic approaches, improved clinical pathways, evidence-based treatments and training for health professionals, including in primary care; |
| _________________ | _________________ |
| 16 Vigano, P., Casalechi, M. and Dolmans, M., ‘European Union underinvestment in endometriosis research’, Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders, Vol. 5, 2024, 100058, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949838423000464. | 16 Vigano, P., Casalechi, M. and Dolmans, M., ‘European Union underinvestment in endometriosis research’, Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders, Vol. 5, 2024, 100058, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949838423000464. |
Amendment 88
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 13a. Urges the Commission to integrate specific targets for ovarian cancer into Europe’s beating cancer plan, prioritising investments in diagnostic methods that take into account the unique biological presentation of the disease; calls on the Commission to launch dedicated funding calls specifically for ovarian cancer to close existing data gaps and incentivise the development of innovative, sex- and gender-responsive treatments, as well as for the establishment of specialised, high-volume centres of excellence to ensure equitable access to surgical and clinical expertise; |
Amendment 89
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 14. Regrets the fact that, despite a prevalence of adverse menopause symptoms among women, the menopause is still not routinely integrated into primary healthcare and remains shrouded in social stigma; | 14. Regrets the fact that, despite a prevalence of adverse perimenopause and menopause symptoms among women, (peri)menopause is insufficiently recognised as a major health and social issue, is still not routinely integrated into primary healthcare and remains shrouded in social stigma; |
Amendment 90
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 14a. Calls on the Member States to integrate menopause-related care into national health systems, providing women with the right information and support, including access to specialised services and psychological support, thereby providing them with the most appropriate and effective treatments and empowering them to recognise symptoms earlier and seek appropriate care; |
Amendment 91
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 14b. Calls on the Commission to consider developing a coordinated EU menopause strategy, building on effective national models and best practices, covering awareness, access to care, training and workplace standards, and to support improved monitoring and data collection to guide policy and research priorities; |
Amendment 92
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the EU strategy on cardiovascular and heart disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment fully integrates a sex and gender perspective; urges the development of personalised diagnosis and treatment strategies tailored to women, particularly those that have faced pregnancy risks, such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, and those experiencing perimenopause and menopause, as hormonal changes can increase cardiovascular risks; |
Amendment 93
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15b. Calls for the design and implementation of a cardiovascular risk calculator, tailored to female physiology and risk factors at different stages of life; |
Amendment 94
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16. Recognises that EU funding can play a significant role in encouraging greater investment in research into gender-specific issues and addressing the inequalities in access to treatment; stresses that there is little incentive for the private sector to invest in preventive care and that this should therefore be a priority of the Commission and the Member States; | 16. Recognises that EU funding can play a significant role in encouraging greater investment in research into sex- and gender-specific issues and addressing the inequalities in access to treatment; stresses that there is little incentive for the private sector to invest in preventive care and that this should therefore be a priority of the Commission and the Member States; underlines that sustained investment is essential to strengthen and prioritise sex- and gender-responsive preventive care – including in relation to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, STIs and cancer – and to address the health impacts of environmental exposures and hazards, which disproportionately affect women throughout their life; highlights that this funding allocation should take into consideration social and regional inequalities; |
Amendment 95
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16a. Calls on the Commission to include women’s health as a priority to be mainstreamed in the post-2027 multiannual financial framework with specific funding and actions, in particular in the new EU research programmes, such as the next EU framework programme for research and innovation (FP10), the forthcoming European innovation act, the European Competitiveness Fund and the new EU4Health programme, thus ensuring sex- and gender-sensitive design in all research proposals; stresses the importance of funding civil society organisations, namely through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme, thereby supporting their work in providing needs-based, community-level and peer-to-peer health services; |
Amendment 96
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16b. Stresses the need to adopt an exposome approach in research to systematically evaluate how different kinds of exposure interact with sex- and gender-related health factors, how they lead to an increased risk of developing NCDs and how they affect prenatal and postnatal health; |
Amendment 97
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16c. Calls for the development and implementation of a women’s health research agenda with a specific budget earmarked under the new FP10, to support research into women’s specific conditions and physiological specificities that often lack sufficient investment and are understudied, such as uterine health, endometriosis, PCOS, menopause transition, urological and urogynaecological disorders, maternal health, pre- and post-partum complications, mental health, certain cancers, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, among other conditions; recommends the establishment of an expert group on women’s health research and innovation to guide the development and collaborative implementation of the women’s health research agenda in order to drive cohesive actions across all relevant programmes financed by the EU budget; |
Amendment 98
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17a. Calls on the Commission to support research into the links between exposure to sex- and gender-based violence and health outcomes; |
Amendment 99
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 18a. Highlights the fact that medical devices play an increasingly central role in disease management and monitoring; underlines that insufficient consideration of physiological differences in the design, testing and validation of medical devices may result in differences in performance, accuracy and user experience; calls for the EU to ensure that medical devices are designed, tested and validated for diverse physical and mental characteristics across all populations and age groups; |
Amendment 100
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19a. Stresses that digital health technologies, including AI-based diagnostic tools and machine learning systems, must be designed, tested, implemented and monitored in a way that reflects women-specific health needs, preventing the replication of existing sex and gender biases in health data, algorithms and emerging technologies; calls for the collection of sex- and gender-disaggregated data and inclusive data to be integrated into all AI tools and emerging technologies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote inclusive and accessible health technologies by ensuring that women are meaningfully involved in product design, testing and development; |
Amendment 101
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20a. Calls on the Commission to address digital health technologies, both in terms of the capacity to improve women’s health outcomes and support gender equality, and in terms of identifying and mitigating the risks of gender-based technology-facilitated violence, discrimination and the widening of health inequalities and the digital health divide; stresses that algorithmic tools used to detect and restrict ‘inappropriate’ content must be designed in a way that ensures they do not flag topics related to women’s health as sexual or adult content, thus limiting their visibility; |
Amendment 102
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21a. Stresses that sex- and gender-disaggregated health data are essential in understanding differences in disease prevalence, treatment outcomes and access to healthcare; urges the Commission to require the collection and reporting of sex- and gender-disaggregated data in all EU-supported health initiatives such as the European Health Data Space and the European reference networks; calls on the Commission to ensure that sex- and gender-specific considerations are integrated into the development, testing and assessment of biopharmaceutical innovations, clinical trials and manufacturing supported by EU funding; |
Amendment 103
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22a. Recognises the EU’s commitment to advancing gender equality globally, including through the EU global health strategy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to integrate a sex- and gender-responsive and intersectional approach into all policies related to planetary health, including climate adaptation, environmental protection and public health, in particular when addressing modifiable risk factors; |
Amendment 104
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 23a. Recognises that global health challenges, including infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and climate-related health threats, have differentiated impacts on women and girls; deplores the fact that the EU’s prevention, preparedness and response plan for health crises fails to adequately address the gendered dimensions of preparedness and response; urges the Commission and the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority to systematically integrate sex- and gender-specific health needs and to address the gendered impacts of health crises, including with regard to unpaid caregiving responsibilities and the health and care workforce; |
Amendment 105
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24a. Calls for the Commission and the Member States to prioritise access to gender-responsive and inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services as an essential component of women’s health under the EU global health strategy; stresses that improving WASH in healthcare facilities is key to reducing preventable maternal and neonatal deaths and to ensuring safe childbirth and menstrual hygiene management; emphasises the need for the EU’s global health and development cooperation policies to address the disproportionate health burden carried by women and girls in low- and middle-income countries due to inadequate WASH services; calls for the EU to provide substantial support and resources to the World Health Organization, highlighting its invaluable role in overseeing and promoting global health; |
Amendment 106
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 25a. Calls on the Commission to develop and implement a European women’s health strategy, aligned with the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights and to be implemented across the Member States, aimed at reducing gender health gaps, boosting public research into women-specific conditions and physiological specificities, and guaranteeing equal access to care across the EU; emphasises that this strategy should include specific indicators and reporting mechanisms with suggested corrective actions on its progress; stresses the need for adequate funding to support research, innovation and education on women’s health; |
ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT
Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she included in her opinion input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the opinion, prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:
| 1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register |
| Netherlands Women’s Health Research & Innovation Center |
| Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW) |
| 2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies |
The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for opinion.
Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for opinion declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION
| Date adopted | 23.4.2026 | |
| Result of final vote | +: –: 0: | 24 5 1 |