Global Scans · Gender · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Achieving global gender parity will take many decades yet. Read on to understand the trends, challenges and efforts to advance parity at a faster pace.

• [New] New plans have been announced to shake up the way cervical cancer risk is detected in England: at-home HPV testing kits are set to be offered to women who have missed their cervical smear test appointments. Cosmopolitan
• [New] Following a national trend in the ratio of men and women applying to dental schools, the U-M DDS Class of 2029 has the highest number of women of any class in school history, with 71 women and 38 men. U-M Dentistry News
• [New] While breast cancer is a health concern for all women in the United States, the risks and outcomes are not the same for everyone. Biology Insights
• [New] Folate: 83% of women of childbearing age had suboptimal RBC folate (< 748 nmol/L) - raising NTD risk. BAPEN
• [New] LGBTQ + youth are at higher risk of suicide, including a 2024 analysis by the CDC that found 26% transgender and gender-questioning students attempted suicide in the past year. Orange County Register
• [New] Electrification will play a vital role in helping MAN - and its customers - meet EU emissions targets in the coming decades. Assembly
• [New] The global fertility rate - the estimated number of births a woman will have in her lifetime, based on current birth rates - peaked at 5.4 in 1963, dropped to 4.1 in 1975, and continued falling in subsequent decades to reach a global fertility rate of 2.1 today. Marcus by Goldman Sachs
• [New] For women of childbearing age (16 to 49 years), 83% had an RBC folate concentration less than 748 nmol per liter, below which there is increased risk of pregnancy affected by neural tube defects. GOV.UK
• The China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges will bring together African and Chinese youths and women, paving the way for intercultural learning to foster mutually shared awareness and cooperation. IOL
• Some studies found an increased risk of a specific type of blood clot and low platelets in women under 50 years of age with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Brown University Health
• Recent data highlight a concerning racial disparity in EC survival rates, particularly with African American (AA) women facing a significantly higher mortality risk compared to European American women. Nature
• Gender biases among international trading partners may raise additional barriers, underscoring the importance of Canada's efforts to promote equitable trade opportunities for women entrepreneurs. GAC
• Young women in some parts of England are at greater risk of cervical cancer owing to low uptake of the vaccine that prevents it. LBC
• Young women across certain regions of England are facing an elevated risk of cervical cancer, a direct consequence of alarmingly low uptake rates for the preventative human papillomavirus vaccine, health experts have cautioned. The Independent
• Indonesia stands unwavering in its mission to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, ensuring that every woman, regardless of socioeconomic status, can live free from its threat. World Health Organization: WHO
• While Poka's Ghanaian data do not measure STI rates directly, many women described recurring urinary tract infections or persistent vaginal itching-suggesting that subsidized access to safer, reusable products could reduce health burdens. MyDailyNewsOnline
• The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's 2025 proposal to convert underutilised plots into community gardens with a gender quota is promising and could transform land access if adopted broadly. The Friday Times
• Pakistan's absence of a tailored micro-grant programme for female urban farmers represents a critical gap and missed opportunity to enhance food security and women's economic resilience. The Friday Times
• Among women, the projected AAMF levels and their decline are, on average, rather similar for Eastern and Western Europe. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Women are more likely than men to achieve early blood pressure control after initiating antihypertensive treatment, with significant differences in stroke and ASCVD risk within three years. TheEMTSpot
• Although there were significant diversity improvements around the world, digital gender biases in AI has the potential to bring back restrictions from the historical past. NHSJS

Last updated: 03 July 2025