In a recent LSIPR article published for World Health Day 2026, the spotlight is on the growing momentum in women’s health innovation, and the persistent gaps that still hamper progress. While patent activity, investment and femtech development are all trending in the right direction, the article makes clear that women remain underrepresented at the inventor level.
Partner, Mairi Rudkin provided commentary for the piece, highlighting the importance of female participation in innovation to help close the women's health gap. Mairi emphasises that gender diversity among inventors is not simply a matter of fairness, but a practical driver of better medical outcomes, pointing to evidence that women-led inventions are more likely to address women’s unmet health needs.
Read the full piece below.
Gender diversity at the innovator level is therefore not only an equity issue—it is essential for narrowing the gender health gap and ensuring that medical innovation meets the needs of both genders.
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