Released July 15, 2026
The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) serve as the architects of a shared framework for measuring against a $20 billion, 10-year federal investment that will close the women’s health gap, the National Strategy to Close the Women’s Health Gap.
Women comprise more than half the U.S. population, yet for decades their health needs across conditions and stages of life have been understudied and underserved.
This comprehensive, congressionally directed framework for women’s health offers a bipartisan needs-based path to better coordinate research, improve access to evidence-based care, and advance long-term prevention efforts. By advancing our understanding of women’s health and translating that knowledge into clinical practice and public health action, Congress can help improve health outcomes for women, families, and communities while reducing long-term health care costs and strengthening the nation’s economic productivity.
The National Strategy officially launched on July 15, 2026 at a press conference event on Capitol Hill. Read more about the announcement in the press release here: Leading Women’s Health Organizations Launch National Strategy to Close the Women’s Health Gap.
Speakers at the press conference included Kathryn Schubert, MPP, CAE, President and CEO of SWHR; Dr. Sandra E. Brooks, MD, MBA, FACOG, CEO of ACOG; Erika Miller, JD, with the Women First Research Coalition; Dr. Cathy Spong, MD, FACOG; Dr. Vivian Pinn, MD, inaugural director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the NIH; and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
Thank you to the following organizations for endorsing the National Strategy.
Are you a national patient advocacy, medical professional society, or nonprofit advocacy organization interested in endorsing the National Strategy? Please fill out the endorsement form here.
This framework provides a pathway to ensure women’s health is prioritized and integrated rather than overlooked and underfunded; an actionable evidence base drives the next generation of discovery; regulatory policies nurture sex-specific innovation and value women’s health; health care professionals have the evidence they need for more timely and accurate diagnoses; and women enter the health care system knowing more about their own biology and have access to the individualized treatments they need.
Robust investment and strengthened coordination across the federal research agencies will unlock new scientific discoveries to inform our understanding of sex differences and women’s health.
Accountability, transparency, and coordination of federal regulatory bodies will ensure that research design, drug and treatment approvals, and coverage and reimbursement decisions account for sex differences, integrating the health needs of American women in regulatory systems.
We cannot improve what we cannot measure. Silos must be broken down so that common data elements can be developed, existing data sets can be leveraged, and gaps can be better identified and closed.
Women’s health research has long suffered from a shortage of trained investigators, clinicians, and specialists who focus on the diseases, conditions, and biological factors that affect women uniquely or disproportionately. Without a robust and sustained workforce, even the best-funded research priorities stall and clinical gaps go unaddressed.
Public awareness and health literacy are not merely complements to scientific investment; they are essential to ensuring that women can access, understand, and benefit from advances in research, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. National public awareness and education campaigns will meet women where they are—to deliver clear, actionable information about the health conditions, life stages, screenings, and research opportunities that matter most to them—and they will support health care professionals in the clinic translating research findings into practice.
Are you a national patient advocacy, medical professional society, or nonprofit advocacy organization interested in endorsing the National Strategy? Please fill out the endorsement form here.
Are you a member of the media interested in speaking with someone at SWHR, ACOG, or WFRC? Please reach out to communications@acog.org.
Do you need additional information about the National Strategy? Please reach out to policy@swhr.org.
