The EAU strengthens its leadership in gender-based health research through strategic EU engagement
The European Association of Urology (EAU) continues to work on gender-sensitive health policy and research, reaffirming its commitment through various contributions to EU-level initiatives. As a sponsor of the European Policy Centre’s (EPC) recent discussion paper Accelerating Women’s Health, and a contributor to the European Commission’s consultation on the 2026–2030 Gender Equality Strategy, the EAU is helping to shape a more inclusive and research-based future for European healthcare.
The EPC paper, supported by the EAU alongside other health stakeholders, calls for a dedicated EU Women’s Health Strategy. It highlights persistent inequalities in research, diagnostics, and care, and urges the European Commission to adopt a life-course, intersectional approach to women’s health. The paper outlines concrete policy recommendations, including:
- the creation of an expert group on women’s health research,
- improved inclusion of women in clinical trials, and
- the integration of sex- and gender-disaggregated data into the European Health Data Space.
The EAU’s own submission to the Commission consultation complements these recommendations by broadening the gender lens to include men’s and LGBTQI+ health realities. In its position paper, the EAU argues that gender equality in health must reflect the distinct challenges faced by all communities. Two case studies: Men and Cancer, and The Urge to Act (on Continence Health) illustrate this point with compelling data and policy proposals.
The Men and Cancer workstream, co-chaired by the EAU within the European Cancer Organisation, reveals that men in the EU face 16% higher cancer rates and a 43% higher mortality rate than women. These disparities are largely preventable and stem from lower health literacy, delayed diagnosis, and limited access to early detection services. The EAU advocates for male-targeted prevention strategies, flexible healthcare access, and psychosocial support tailored to men’s needs.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Urge to Act campaign on continence health, launched by the EAU and endorsed by over 24 stakeholders, focuses on the imbalanced burden of urinary incontinence among women. The campaign’s findings show that the economic impact of UI in women (€55.7 billion in 2023) far exceeds that in men (€13.5 billion), and that postpartum and menopausal women face significant gaps in care, diagnostics, and support. The EAU calls for better tools, adapted assessment protocols, and wider access to pelvic floor training.
Lastly,the EAU is closely following other initiatives such as the Health Workforce Crisis in the European Parliament, where we have submitted amendments to include protection and awareness for pregnant residents in urology (and in general).
Together, these initiatives underscore the EAU’s commitment to advancing gender-based research and policy. By supporting the EPC’s call for a Women’s Health Strategy and submitting its own inclusive recommendations to the Commission, the EAU is helping to ensure that future EU health policies reflect the full spectrum of gendered experiences.
Documents:
Accelerating Women’s Health: The urgent need for a dedicated Women’s Health Strategy at EU level; https://d1xp398qalq39s.cloudfront.net/uploads/ckeditor/2025/09/30/womens-health-duff-paper-v7.pdf
EAU’s Feedback to Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14611-Gender-Equality-Strategy-2026-2030/F3590700_en