Most biomedical, health and care research does not adequately account for sex and gender dimensions of health and illness. Overlooking and disregarding the influence of sex and gender in research reduces scientific rigour and reproducibility, which leads to less effective treatments and worse health outcomes for all, particularly women and sex and gender diverse people. Historically, there has been minimal sex and gender policy innovation in UK medical research. To address this, stakeholders from across the UK research sector have been collaborating since spring 2023 to co-design a sex and gender policy framework to be implemented by research funders, as part of the MESSAGE (Medical Science Sex and Gender Equity) project. In the first Policy Lab, held in London in May 2023, 50 participants, including representatives from funding organisations, medical journals, regulators, clinicians, academics and people with lived experience, identified two key priorities for future action: 1) A whole system approach to policy change, and 2) Technical capacity-building and wider culture change efforts. In pursuing these priorities and collaborating cross-sectorally, UK stakeholders are engaged in an internationally innovative approach aimed at realising sustainable and impactful sex and gender policy change. Drawing on MESSAGE Policy Lab discussions, we set out key actions needed for the UK research sector to embed meaningful accounting for sex and gender as a new norm for research practice.
- Alice Witt
- Marina Politis
- Kate Womersley
