January 25, 2018

Duckworth & Schakowsky Introduce First-Ever Resolution Recognizing January 25th as Women’s Health Research Day

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), along with 27 of their Senate and House colleagues, introduced a resolution to designate January 25th, 2018, as Women’s Health Research Day. Women’s Health Research Day recognizes the need to increase awareness of sex- and gender-based biomedical research, which the National Institutes of Health did not consider prior to 2016, the underrepresentation of women in past biomedical research and the importance of inclusive health research for women.

“Women of all stripes, socioeconomic statuses and ages have different medical needs than men, but they are often underrepresented in important biomedical and clinical trials. This lack of representation can drastically limit women’s access to life-saving innovations and treatments,” said Duckworth. “If we as a nation want to make sure women have access to the best health care possible, we need to start by ensuring a diversity of women are included when biomedical research trials are conducted.”

“Today we recognize the NIH’s commitment to increase diversity in scientific study,” said Schakowsky. “For decades, women of all races, ethnicities, ages, and socioeconomic groups have been underrepresented in biomedical research. Their biological differences have been ignored and the full promise of life-saving innovations has not always been extended to them. Today I am proud to recognize that our biomedical research is catching up with the diverse character of our nation. Full representation is the only way to guarantee that women have access to the best health care the world has to offer.”

U.S. Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Heidi Heitkamp (D-MT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) and U.S. Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Shelia Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) are also cosponsoring the Women’s Health Research Day Resolution. This resolution is endorsed by the Women’s Health Research Institute, Society for Women’s Health Research, Research!America, Association of Women in Science, Endocrine Society, American Association of University Women, Continuum Clinical and the American Society for Nutrition.