Overview
The file concerns the European Parliament's own-initiative report (INI) on gender inequalities in health, specifically as regards gender-specific conditions, under procedure 2025/2074(INI). The report is currently ongoing and awaiting a committee decision. The primary source document analysed is the draft report (PE782.188v01-00) from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, dated 08.01.2026. This draft, prepared by rapporteur Billy Kelleher, serves as a motion for a Parliament resolution. It diagnoses systemic gender bias in medical research and healthcare and proposes a comprehensive set of policy demands. These include calls for mandatory sex-disaggregated data in EU-funded research, gender-sensitive healthcare training, increased investment in research for conditions like endometriosis and menopause, and support for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including a proposal for a voluntary EU financial mechanism to enable cross-border access to abortion care. The draft also urges the European Commission to use forthcoming policy instruments, such as the 2026–2030 Gender Equality Strategy, to implement concrete measures.
Legislative timeline
The procedure was initiated with the referral to the responsible parliamentary committee on 3 April 2025. The committee report was tabled on 7 January 2026, with committee amendments tabled by 5 February 2026. The current status is awaiting a committee decision. The next scheduled step is an indicative plenary sitting date set for 6 July 2026. A recent event titled "8. Gender inequalities in health, specifically as regards gender-specific conditions" was recorded on 25 February 2026.
Institutional handling
The lead committee in the European Parliament is the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Within the European Commission, the responsible Directorate-General is the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (JUST), under Commissioner Hadja Lahbib. The relevant Council configuration for this policy area is the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO).
Stakeholder reactions
There has been notable stakeholder engagement with Members of the European Parliament on this file, with 17 recorded meetings involving MEPs. These meetings involved 16 distinct organisations. The most active organisations in this outreach include the European Association of Urology, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, HARMON CORPORATE AFFAIRS, SL, Organon & Co, EuroHealthNet, and the Swedish Children's Organization Junis Swedish Temperance Society IOGT Swedish Youth Temperance Society UNF.