Did you know that much of our medical knowledge has been based on a single body type: the white adult male body? That historically medications and treatments have been developed primarily for males, with female bodies often regarded as smaller versions of male bodies?

Well, I didn’t know that. I was shocked to learn these facts – and more – from Soo Son, a staunch advocate of gender parity.

“I think female health inequality stemmed from the long-held belief that female and male bodies are identical, which has persisted for too long,” she says.

There’s a gaping crack in health equality and equity between men and women. It will take more than just sticking a band-aid to plug it. Whether it’s in research, data, care, or investment this decades-long gap is reflected in a report published by McKinsey Health Institute in January 2024.

What can be done to challenge the status quo and change this systemic unhealthy condition that’s prevalent worldwide? Is it even among the pressing talking points in the gender agenda?

The issue is under-discussed due to lack of awareness and understanding of its socio-economic impact. It will take a multi-layered collaboration among governments and various industries in public and private sectors to tackle the problem. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. However, keeping incisive discussions ongoing is a step in the right direction. That’s exactly what Soo is doing.

The change agent is on a mission to transform women’s health equity. She can’t underscore enough the importance and impact of addressing the gender health equality and equity gap. The first has to happen to achieve the latter.

Equality and Equity are often used interchangeably. But there’s a stark difference between the two.

Equality means everyone gets the same thing. Equity means individuals get what they need, according to Soo.

To Illustrate: Imagine promoting health by providing bicycles for exercise. Equality would be giving each of 100 people the same bike. Equity would be offering bikes of various sizes and specifications to accommodate the needs of smaller people, taller people, and people with different abilities.

“Equality is a precursor to equity. There is a need to first establish that everyone deserves wellbeing. Once we agree on that, we must implement systems and processes that account for individual circumstances, ensuring that everyone can achieve the same level of wellbeing,” says Soo, who is based in Philadelphia, USA. 

With a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA under her belt, data has been a consistent focal point throughout Soo’s career. She believes the most urgent issue in achieving female health equity and equality lies in acknowledging the data gap concerning females. 

 She also points out that many clinical organisations and pharmaceutical companies prioritise ‘data-driven decision making’ yet they often overlook the fact that data on females is often invisible. This invisibility stems from either a lack of disaggregation of data by sex or insufficient representation of females in clinical trials.

Standing up for what’s right

Female health equity is not only crucial for women but also for men. Understanding the intricacies of the female body presents an opportunity to enhance our overall understanding of wellbeing, ultimately benefiting all individuals in reaching their full potential.

Soo, 54, is of South Korean descent who relocated to the US with her parents when she was very young. An academically smart and diligent pupil, her teachers believed she would have a bright future. They were right.

She studied engineering in the 1990s and worked in technology, both male-dominated fields at the time. She remembers wearing a necktie every day for a week at her first job to make a statement that she shouldn't have to dress like a man to be treated equally. When her boss called her out, she explained that it was simply to send the message that taking notes, making coffee or similar office tasks often relegated to female staff was not why she was there for. The message was received, loud and clear.    

Highly regarded as an experienced leader who has transformed the worlds of marketing, sales, analytics, and R&D on a grand scale, she possesses intuitive talent for numbers and extraordinary skills to make complex business changes sound like a walk in the park.

It was during the COVID-19 global pandemic that the mother of two started thinking about and digging deep into gender health equity. Her work experiences at GSK, Pfizer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM, Sybase andEpsilon certainly helped her make sense of the data she got her hands on.

“When the COVID vaccines affected women's menstrual cycles, I was surprised this information only came to light after the vaccines were approved. Investigating further, I was shocked to learn that menstrual information isn't even captured during clinical trials,” she says.She was even more disappointed to discover that women were not systematically enrolled in clinical trials until 1993, and it’s only been since 2016 that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has required data to be disaggregated by sex.

“As I delved deeper, I realised that the scientific evidence clearly supports the need to transform healthcare by recognising the fundamental differences between female and male bodies at the cellular level. The era of viewing female bodies as just smaller versions of male bodies is over. Motivated by my experience in driving significant transformations, I decided to channel my efforts into advocating for change in healthcare,” sharesSoo, who is proud to have been part of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Gender Parity Collaborative.

She was even more disappointed to discover that women were not systematically enrolled in clinical trials until 1993, and it’s only been since 2016 that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has required data to be disaggregated by sex.

“As I delved deeper, I realised that the scientific evidence clearly supports the need to transform healthcare by recognising the fundamental differences between female and male bodies at the cellular level. The era of viewing female bodies as just smaller versions of male bodies is over. Motivated by my experience in driving significant transformations, I decided to channel my efforts into advocating for change in healthcare,” sharesSoo, who is proud to have been part of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Gender Parity Collaborative.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that health is a basic right for everyone. Each WHO Member State has endorsed at least one agreement recognising the right to the best possible physical and mental health. When it comes to health, women have the same rights as men—to strive for the highest level of health possible.

There are three compelling reasons why everyone should care about female health inequity: economic, scientific, and familial considerations.

Soo explains: “First, a McKinsey's recent analysis revealed that approximately one trillion US dollars of economic value remains unrealized due to female health inequity. This underscores the potential economic contribution that women could make if they had the same health outcomes as men, thereby reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity.

“From a scientific standpoint, female bodies play a crucial role in creating life and possess unique regenerative capabilities. Understanding these differences is essential for optimising the wellbeing of all individuals and for advancing our knowledge of longevity. Despite existing disparities in the understanding and treatment of male and female bodies, females currently live an average of six years longer than males.

“Lastly, everyone should care about female health equity because all life originates from a female body. Whether as mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, or nieces, we all have loved ones whose full potential we want to see realised. Supporting female health equity is not only a matter of fairness but also a fundamental aspect of promoting the wellbeing and fulfilment of all individuals.”

These are global concerns. However, as we discuss the limited understanding of female bodies, there is even less awareness of the intersectionality of sex and race.

A snapshot summary of the Food and Drug Administration’s 2020 Drug Trials conducted in the US showed that 75% of clinical trial studies involved white participants, 8% black participants, 6% Asian participants, and 11% Hispanic participants.

For instance, Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) constitute 7% of the US population but represent 58% of hepatitis B cases. These statistics underscore the glaring gaps in data concerning ethnicity and age. Addressing these gaps is crucial for ensuring healthcare equity across diverse populations.

The data Soo cites for the US, UK, and Canada for this story shed light on the importance of addressing gender health equity. But things are even tougher in Third World countries, where basic healthcare essentials such as clean water and access to toilets are still a major challenge.

The battle has just begun

Soo believes that the primary factors that will empower and transform women in their health and wellbeing are our agency and authorship; that we need to fight for and practice self-care and self-awareness.

She shares: “The male and female bodies differ at the cellular level. With this awareness, women are increasingly questioning the existing knowledge gaps and advocating for more comprehensive understanding and tailored treatments.

“We are becoming more curious, taking ownership of our health information, and demanding more specificity regarding the efficacy of treatments for females compared to males.

“Female health equity is not only crucial for women but also for men. Understanding the intricacies of the female body presents an opportunity to enhance our overall understanding of wellbeing, ultimately benefiting all individuals in reaching their full potential.

But the main hurdle in achieving female health equity is the lack of attention and investment in women's health, despite women constituting over 51% of the population and making 80% of consumer purchasing decisions in healthcare.”

Shockingly, female conditions outside of oncology make up less than 2% of the healthcare pipeline, and just 1% of the approximately US$200 billion spent on health-care research and development focuses on women’s health.

To bridge this gap, we need to move beyond merely recognizing female differences and establish standard protocols tailored specifically to female bodies. Decades of under-representation of women in clinical trials, particularly for conditions like heart disease and stroke, have resulted in many standard treatments being based predominantly on studies conducted on men.

“Recently, I came across an article in Nature mentioning that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have made strides in this regard. Between 2011 and 2019, the proportion of all research grant applications submitted to CIHR that accounted for sex increased from 22% to 83%.”

The emergence of FemTech (Female Technologies) and the growing presence of women entrepreneurs and innovators have led to an uptick in efforts to address these gaps. Even governments are starting to adapt. It is set to transform wellbeing. Wearables such as watches and rings are collecting vast amounts of personal data, and there are countless apps monitoring periods, fertility, and menopause symptoms. This advancement is truly remarkable.

Balancing Act

When it comes to work-life balance, Soo used to picture walking a tightrope, where one wrong move could lead to a fall. But now, she prefers to think of it as a three-legged stool: family, work, and self-care. Often, the leg representing self-care is neglected, but it's crucial for true balance.

“Think about the safety briefing on an airplane — they always remind you to secure your oxygen mask before assisting others. Similarly, to effectively support your family's health and wellbeing, you must prioritise your own needs first,” underscores the executive coach.

She has become the go-to expert for everything CRM (Customer Relationship Management), omni-channel marketing, data & analytics, business process re-engineering, and strategic blueprint development.

But Soo is not just about numbers and strategy. When she's not leading the charge, this fitness enthusiast enjoys running, hiking, reading and meditation.

Her recently launched podcast "Transforming Health with Soo Son” has been getting encouraging feedback, especially from women audiences including fellow alumni and coaches of World of Women (WOW).

Soo reflects: “WOW coaching profoundly influenced my advocacy work in two pivotal ways. First, it brought sharp clarity to my purpose of driving equity. I realised that my expertise in data, leading major transformations, and driving change is perfectly aligned with the mission of advancing gender health equity. The program encouraged deep self-reflection and journaling, helping me tap into my passion, find my flow, and solidify my purpose.

“WOW helped me break free from my limiting beliefs. The power of group coaching lies in hearing others' visions, passions, and fears. Discussing our personal limiting beliefs and discovering that even highly successful people feel inadequate at times was liberating. This revelation empowered me to embrace a more expansive mindset and pursue the audacious goal of driving change in the realm of gender health equity. WOW has been truly transformative.”

The women’s health equity issue is big and can be overwhelming. Where does one even begin? How does one start to make a difference?

Soo shares a story that comes to mind: A storm washed hundreds of fish onto a beach. A little girl started picking them up, one by one, and throwing them back into the water. A man passing by remarked, "You know, you can't save them all." The girl looked at him, picked up another fish, and replied, "I saved that one."

“It reminds us that even small actions can have a significant impact. So, don't underestimate the impact of starting small and caring enough to take action. Every effort counts,” says Soo. 

Debbie | ws

Images courtesy of Soo Son (unless otherwise credited) | “Transforming Health with Soo Son” podcast is available on Spotify and Apple