Research Women
When we think of women’s health, we often think of reproductive and maternal health; however, this only makes up 5 per cent of the full burden of women’s health.
Forty-seven per cent of the health burden is made up of conditions that affect women disproportionately such as autoimmune diseases, depression, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s.
Historically, fewer than one-third of participants in clinical trials have been women, and many studies still don’t analyze results by sex at all, meaning male bodies are treated as the default.
The need: If we want better care for women, we need better evidence. That means investing in research that includes women, prioritizes women’s health questions, and reflects the diversity of women’s experiences. Research is not optional, it’s foundational to system change.
Action the IWK Foundation is taking to improve research:
- The IWK Foundation is a proud member of Women’s Health Collective Canada, a coast-to-coast collaboration of six foundations. Together, we are working to strengthen women’s health research, elevate national collaboration, and accelerate impact across Canada.
- We have also announced the appointment of an inaugural Accelerate Research Chair in Women+ Health, Dr. Justine Dol, generously funded by Dr. Margaret Oulton. Dr. Dol’s work will help build the evidence base needed to improve outcomes for women across the region.
- Nova Scotia has the highest incidence of breast cancer across Canada, but we don’t know why. Together with the J & W Murphy Foundation and the generosity of Lisa Murphy and Karen Spaulding, the IWK Breast Health Research Unit was created to strengthen breast cancer care across Nova Scotia. By bringing research and data into one place, the unit is collecting province-wide, patient-reported information from diagnosis through survivorship to better answer these questions, and to improve care and outcomes.
- We also know that understanding women’s health means understanding the experiences of Indigenous women, African Nova Scotian women, newcomer women, trans women and women in communities that have historically been underserved.
Our North Star when it comes to research:
What could truly change the future of women’s health is a dedicated Women’s Health Research Institute, right here in Atlantic Canada.
One that is focused on collaboration, scale, and impact. Making that a reality will require transformational champions willing to help build something that does not yet exist…but is deeply needed.
This is how we move from gaps in evidence to breakthroughs in care. At its core, all of this research reflects the power of collaboration to turn collective insight into meaningful action.