If you can't get to HRI this Wednesday then there is a region-wide event taking place via Teams. See the details below.

Power, privilege, and priorities: Embrace equity in women's healthcare

Wednesday 8 March at 12.30pm via MS Teams. Email wy.ren@nhs.net for the Teams link. Everyone welcome.

Women comprise nearly half of the West Yorkshire population and have a significant influence on the well-being of their families, communities, and economy. Yet there's worldwide disparity in women’s health care and, despite best intentions, widespread gender bias persists.

Gender bias has a significant negative effect on medical diagnosis and the quality of healthcare women receive, leading to substantial delays in diagnosis, as well as misdiagnosis and even death. Gender bias is a result of sexism. We know many women struggle in the workplace today with issues such as the menopause and endometriosis.

Patients, doctors, researchers, and administrators can all hold biased views about gender - and these views can affect how the healthcare system works. It can have a serious impact on health outcomes. 

Gender bias is a preference often based on false beliefs or generalisations. This is further perpetuated in women from ethnic minorities or / and are living with a learning disability.

Both explicit and implicit bias influence behaviours and this leads to discrimination and reinforces inequity.

Please get involved and join our panel of inspirational women

  • Cathy Elliott, Chair of NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
  • Dame Clare Gerada, Joint Chair of the NHS Assembly
  • Kaneez Khan, Chair of the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Race Equality VCSE Voices Panel
  • Professor Donna Hall from New Local
  • Fatima Khan-Shah, Chair of the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Race Equality Network.

We will be exploring:

  • Why Women’s health is under-researched and under-diagnosed
  • Why some women even today experience disbelief when sharing symptoms
  • Potential gaps in women’s medical research
  • The consequences of gender bias in healthcare.

Women could lead longer, healthier lives if we can #WYEmbraceEquity

You may also find the Government’s Women’s Health Strategy, a helpful read: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/womens-health-strategy-for-england/womens-health-strategy-for-england