Government failing to tackle gender imbalance, say studies

WOMEN’S needs are being overlooked in national policies, despite a Government commitment to address gender imbalance, two new reports have found.

A report by the Women’s Health Council (WHC) - Integrating the Gender Perspective in Irish Health Policy: A Case Study - found the national cardiovascular health policy, Building Healthier Hearts, took men’s cardiovascular health as the basis for the policy, to the detriment of women.

WHC director Geraldine Luddy said it operated on the assumption that “one size fits all”, which was flawed because heart disease in women manifested itself in different ways from men.