Women's Health Inequalities Workshop with Naabil Khan

1st June, 2026

Attending Naabil Khan’s workshop on women’s health inequalities offered a powerful continuation of the conversations initiated during the earlier CEDAW session, hosted by IWN. While CEDAW highlighted structural and legal dimensions of gender inequality, this workshop grounded those ideas in lived realities, particularly within healthcare systems that continue to underserve women in deeply entrenched ways.

Naabil began by tracing the historical roots of medical inequity, reminding us that modern healthcare cannot be separated from its past. She referenced the use of early gynaecological instruments, such as the duckbill speculum, which were tested on enslaved Black women in the 19th century without consent or anaesthesia. This history is not simply a distant ethical failure; it represents a legacy of racialised and gendered exploitation that continues to shape mistrust and inequality in healthcare today. It also laid the groundwork for later feminist critiques, particularly during the second wave, which challenged the paternalism embedded within medical practice.

Building on this, the workshop explored how race continues to intersect with gender in contemporary healthcare outcomes. The discussion highlighted stark disparities: Black women today face significantly higher maternal mortality rates, and babies born to Black mothers are more than twice as likely to die within their first year compared to those born to White mothers. These are not isolated statistics but indicators of systemic bias, unequal access, and a lack of culturally competent care.

I found the most engaging parts of the session to focus on gender bias in medical research. Much of modern medicine has historically been based on male-centred studies, leading to widespread gaps in understanding women’s health. Conditions such as endometriosis, autoimmune diseases, and chronic pain disorders are frequently ignored, misdiagnosed, or dismissed as psychological issues. The term “hysteria,” though outdated, reflects a longstanding tendency to trivialise women’s symptoms. Audience members shared personal experiences of having their concerns minimised or overlooked, reinforcing how these issues persist not just in theory but in everyday medical encounters.

A particularly striking concept introduced by Naabil was that of “bikini medicine.” This term critiques the tendency to reduce women’s health to reproductive organs and breasts, neglecting the reality that biological sex influences nearly every system in the body. From cardiovascular health to immune responses, women experience diseases differently, yet research and treatment approaches often fail to reflect this. Recognising this gap is essential to developing more accurate diagnoses and effective care.

One of the many conversations in the audience was the disconnect between available healthcare services and public awareness. Several participants noted that while support systems, such as mental health services and post-natal care, do exist within the NHS, they are often difficult to navigate or poorly communicated. This lack of accessible information creates a barrier in itself, particularly for women who may already be vulnerable. The complexity of medical processes, involving multiple appointments, referrals, and dense information, can be overwhelming. For women who may face language barriers or have limited familiarity with the healthcare system, these challenges are even more pronounced.

The discussion also turned to local perspectives in Cornwall, where recent initiatives have begun addressing women’s health inequalities. A conference examining regional disparities highlighted issues such as mental health, intersectionality, and the specific barriers faced by international women and Gypsy and Traveller communities. Clinicians involved in these discussions pointed to often-overlooked concerns, including hidden cardiovascular conditions in women, which are frequently underdiagnosed due to gendered assumptions about risk.

While these initiatives signal progress, participants emphasised that more inclusive decision-making is needed. In particular, there was a call for greater involvement of men in these conversations, especially given that many leadership and managerial roles within healthcare systems are still male-dominated. Addressing inequality requires not only awareness but also structural change at decision-making levels.

Overall, the workshop underscored that women’s health inequalities are not the result of a single factor but a complex interplay of history, bias, access, and representation. I found the discussion impactful because of the diversity of voices in the room. Women from different professional, cultural, and social backgrounds shared their perspectives, creating a space that was both informative and reflective.

Naabil’s ability to combine data with personal insight, while also creating space for open discussion, made the session particularly impactful. I left the workshop with a much clearer understanding of the multiple layers that contribute to health inequalities, as well as a stronger sense of the importance of continuing these conversations.

Events like this remind me why spaces for dialogue and shared learning are so important. They not only raise awareness but also encourage us to question systems that we often take for granted.

For those interested in similar events in the future, keep an eye out on the IWN Calendar.