AQW 35329/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 12/11/2025
Answered On Date: 27/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on his Department's work to address gender bias and discrimination in the healthcare system.

Answer:

Gender bias and discrimination is not measured or quantified across health and social care in Northern Ireland, however, I do accept there are systemic inequalities and certain groups of people face additional barriers to accessing healthcare.

I also understand from qualitative feedback received through engagement on the Women’s Health Action Plan, that many women report feeling dismissed or their pain normalised when seeking help, similar to the experiences reported last year in the publication from the UK Parliament Women and Equalities Committee on women’s reproductive health conditions. My Department is currently considering how to – subject to resources - provide more targeted clinical education about conditions affecting women’s health and wellbeing and to improve awareness and understanding among the wider public to help remove the stigma associated with these health conditions.

My Department will also be publishing an updated equality action plan for 2025-2030 which will outline work across the HSC to tackle inequality and discrimination in relation to all section 75 groups including gender.