RSCN & Age-IT Joint Webinar for International Women’s Day

Addressing Sex and Gender-Related Health Inequalities: European Perspectives and Good Practices On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Reference Site Collaborative Network (RSCN), in collaboration with Age-IT, is organising a European webinar dedicated to addressing sex and gender related health inequalities from a policy, research and innovation perspective. The webinar will take place on 9 March 2026 from 14:00 to 15:30 CET, bringing together regional ecosystems, research leaders and policy experts to explore how digital transformation and knowledge exchange can contribute to more inclusive, equitable and resilient health systems across Europe. Across Europe, women live longer than men, yet they experience a higher number of years in poor health and with functional limitations. Similar and often more pronounced health disparities affect LGBTQIA+ populations, who face compounded risks due to social exclusion, discrimination and structural barriers in access to care. These inequities are not inevitable. They reflect persistent gaps in how health systems generate, analyse and use evidence, and how services are designed and delivered. Despite strong commitments under EU frameworks such as the Gender Equality Strategy, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Health Union, health data and research still insufficiently integrate sex and gender sensitive approaches. Many health databases allow sex to be omitted and rarely capture gender identity, resulting in limited stratification and reduced capacity to identify risks early, tailor prevention strategies and ensure equitable care across the life course. Digital transformation offers a critical enabling lever to address these gaps. Innovative approaches to data anonymisation and privacy preserving analytics, federated and interoperable databases, and the integration of omics data can support inclusive, sex and gender aware research while fully respecting fundamental rights and data protection principles. At the same time, wearable technologies, digital self monitoring tools and AI enabled decision support systems can empower individuals, improve early detection and support personalised prevention and healthy lifestyle adoption, particularly for populations traditionally underserved by health systems. In line with EU priorities on equity, inclusion and digital innovation, this webinar aims to explore sex and gender related health inequalities through a European lens. It will showcase evidence, policy perspectives and concrete good practices that demonstrate how digital solutions can contribute to more equitable, inclusive and resilient health systems, ensuring that longer lives also mean healthier lives for all. Date: 9 March 2026 Time: 14:00–15:30 CET Connection link: https://tinyurl.com/Rscn-age-itWomensDay