Abstract Book of the 7th Global Conference on Women’s Studies
Year: 2025
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Bridging the Gap: Gender Equity in International Cancer and Cardiovascular Research
Rut Lucas Domínguez, Cristina Rius, Adolfo Alonso-Arroyo, Jesica Suárez,Idalina Machado , Juliana Perucchi, Telmo Ronzani
ABSTRACT:
Given that inequalities such as the gender gap in leadership and biases in scientific development persist, integrating a gender perspective into biomedical research is crucial. This project aims to evaluate the current level of gender inclusion in international oncology and cardiovascular research, two main causes of death and disease. The methodology is a 41-question ethics-approved questionnaire divided into five blocks: institutional planning; research culture; scientific content; journal selection; and article writing. Global and block scores (0-100) of gender inclusion are generated once the questionnaire has been completed (https:/healthinclusiveresearch.com/Login/LoginAuto?email=0M3wMDCgp5okVlhExg99lg==&password=KH2zIMAw9t3WCBYGw37Cdw==&lang=en). Emails were collected from the corresponding authors of papers from the participating countries. These authors were sent a voluntary, anonymous invitation to complete the survey. In Spain, 2,370 questionnaires were completed (56.67% women) giving an overall average score (OS) of 56 for including a gender perspective; 369 (62.87% women) in Portugal (48 OS); 303 (55.11% women) in Brazil (52 OS); and 217 (65.43% women) in Argentina (54 OS). In all countries, the perception of gender inclusiveness is greater when the questionnaire is completed by men. A woman leading a team or research group with gender parity demonstrates a greater focus on gender when the surveys are answered by women, without this affecting the results when men answer. In Spain and Argentina, ‘Journal Selection’ (Block IV) had the lowest score, and in Portugal and Brazil it was ‘Culture and Climate of the Research Team’ (Block II). Completing the questionnaire offers immediate feedback on gender equality and findings will help improve research internationally.
Keywords: implementation of gender equality; biomedical research; gender gap; gender bias; women’s studies