Improving sex and gender equity in research protocols: the new SAGER-swissethics recommendations

Improving sex and gender equity in research protocols: the new SAGER-swissethics recommendations

Gayet-Ageron A, Clair C, Schwarz J, Heidari S, Bovet E, Bize R, Stute P, Nadal D, Magnin A, Kalberer N, Michaud P-A. 

Swiss Medical Weekly – December 9, 2024

Research ethics committees play a critical role in ensuring compliance with Swiss law on research involving human subjects, which prohibits discrimination and mandates the fair inclusion of participants. Recent amendments to Swiss regulations emphasise the importance of including diverse groups representative of the target population in terms of sex and age, with any exclusions requiring clear justification. Globally, representativeness and diversity in research remain challenges, despite guidelines like the SAGER guidelines, which aim to embed sex and gender considerations into research design and reporting. In response, swissethics established a working group in 2023 to develop the “SAGER-swissethics recommendations,” promoting the integration of these dimensions in Swiss health research. This paper highlights the ethical and scientific importance of addressing sex and gender in research.

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A Pathway to Change: SAGER Guidelines & the journey to make the research eco-system gender-responsive

19 November 2024 | Women in Global Health Switzerland and The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.

On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, participants joined an insightful discussion featuring Dr. Shirin Heidari, lead author of Sex and Gender Equity in Research: rationale for the SAGER guidelines and recommended use, organized by Women in Global Health Switzerland and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.

The session, titled “A Pathway to Change,” explored the critical role of the SAGER Guidelines in addressing gender bias in research and driving systemic change toward a more gender-responsive research ecosystem. Dr. Heidari shared the story behind the development of these essential guidelines, offering valuable insights into how they aim to close the gender data gap and contribute to achieving #HealthForAll.

The event brought together professionals and advocates passionate about advancing gender equity in research, sparking engaging conversations on actionable pathways to create an inclusive and equitable global health landscape.

A big thank you to all participants for joining this inspiring session and contributing to the dialogue on building a fairer, more inclusive research ecosystem.

GEH Network: Towards People-Centered DigitalHealth Strategies: Gender, Equity, Rights, and Inclusion

29 October 2024 | GENDRO

We were thrilled to host Professor Sara (Meg) Davis from the Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP) at the University of Warwick and James Kiilu from the University of Nairobi, who presented a preview of their forthcoming report, “Towards People-Centered Digital Health Strategies: Gender, Equity, Rights, and Inclusion.”

This event offered a fantastic opportunity to delve into critical discussions around digital health strategies and their implications for gender and rights. Attendees explored the importance of inclusive approaches that promote equity and inclusion in digital health.

As part of GENDRO’s GEH Network, this session brought together actors from academia, civil society, UN agencies, and other entities to share the latest developments and discuss opportunities to promote the integration of sex and gender dimensions in research, innovation, data analysis, health policies, and programs.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this impactful discussion. Together, we continue to foster dialogue and collaboration to advance equity and rights in digital health!

Book review – Unveiling the exploitation of women’s health

Book review – Unveiling the exploitation of women’s health

Shirin Heidari

The Lancet – September 14, 2024

Despite the growing rhetoric around women’s health, the increasing recognition of gender bias in health research and data, and the seeming rallying behind gender equality, why does progress towards gender equality and equity in health remain so slow, fragmented, and fragile? This question is at the heart of Sophie Harman’s Sick of It: The Global Fight for Women’s Health.

Harman presents many real-life examples to illustrate how women’s health is exploited “as a means of attaining and sustaining power in the world”. She challenges this “sick politics” and examines “how using and abusing women’s health for political ends works and how it stops us making real strides in women’s health”. Notably, she proposes steps for driving change through solidarity politics.

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