Prescription for Change 2025

Quick win: Regulator and investigator awareness education BOX 2 Create awareness with regulators and investigators to generate women-specific data earlier. Creating awareness with regulators and investigators – particularly on the inclusion of pregnant and lactating women – can improve study design and promote better representation in clinical trials. Educating on the importance of inclusion is an easy policy to implement that can immediately drive clinical research towards better health outcomes for women. The results are clear: better representation leads to better science. Inclusion mandates – particularly for female subpopulations – should be seriously considered as they have proven to be more impactful than incentives in driving progress. The successful implementation of such requirements, as seen in past best practices, has led to tangible improvements in diverse representation and outcomes. Regulatory agencies play a critical role in driving these changes. Focusing on these tried-and- tested strategies, along with quick wins such as a regulatory and investigator awareness education to guide study design, will accelerate the necessary shifts in research practices and policies, ultimately improving the safety and effectiveness of treatments for all women. Expanding the inclusion of women in clinical trials is crucial for advancing medical research. Through better representation of women, we can develop treatments that are safer and more effective for everyone. Catharina Boehme, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Governance, World Health Organization Prescription for Change: Policy Recommendations for Women’s Health Research 15