This week we celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) at the organization’s annual gala. I also wrapped up 3 years serving as chair of the board and very much felt a sense of looking back and looking ahead.
The founders of the Society, women researchers at NIH, were not satisfied with the status quo. The stalwart organization they built has been central to ensuring the inclusion of women in clinical trials, the implementation of sex as a biological variable, the establishment of offices of women’s health across government, and, just last year, designation of $1 billion in new funding for women’s health research.
Today, as budgets are tight and uncertainty is high, it was all the more meaningful to spend an evening thinking about all we’ve accomplished and feel the energy and inspiration from the speakers and everyone in the room.
We heard from Representative Lauren Underwood who is leading efforts to improve black maternal health, Senator Shelley Moore Capito who is raising awareness and advocating for better support for women experiencing menopause, Kim Love who has worked behind the scenes on the Hill and beyond to advance major legislation to support women’s health and access to care, Dr. Teresa Woodruff who has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of reproductive health and Dr. Anita Ravi who is working at the vanguard of treating women survivors of gender-based violence.
The progress we’ve seen in women’s health research, policy and investment over the last 35 years has been bipartisan. As Kathryn Shubert, SWHR’s President & CEO, pointed out at the gala, women represent 51% of the population, so this is not a niche or partisan issue; supporting women’s health is not political – it’s good science. This is the case we need to make.
Just last week, the news came that the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a long-term study investigating strategies to prevent the leading causes of death, disability, and frailty in older women, was set for termination. But the women’s health community quickly raised its voice, and the story of the impending cut was covered on media outlets across the country. By sticking to our core message and sticking together as a community, the WHI was reinstated.
We cannot take women’s health for granted. I’m proud of SWHR’s role in promoting science and educating decision-makers. Until women’s health is mainstream, we cannot stop advocating.
