#AccelerateAction On International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (IWD) is globally recognised on March 8th, 2025. This day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and serves as a call to action for accelerating gender equality. The 2025 theme for IWD is #AccelerateAction.

In the field of pain research, evidence indicates that chronic pain is more prevalent in women than in men. Women are at greater risk for common chronic pain conditions, including migraine, osteoarthritis, low back pain, widespread pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and painful diabetic neuropathy. Healthcare utilisation is also higher among women. The causes of this higher pain prevalence are multifactorial, encompassing genetic factors, molecular and cellular differences (such as the effect of sex hormones on neuronal function), circuit-level vulnerabilities, and psychosocial factors (including gender stereotypes, socially learned gender roles, and associated beliefs and expectations). An overlooked factor is how researchers measure pain across genders; variations in pain assessment procedures can influence how individuals report their pain. Additionally, research is needed to examine the extent to which sex and gender biases occur in scientific studies and to develop strategies to reduce them. Unfortunately, there is a relative lack of literature on pain among those identifying as nonbinary, transgender, and/or gender-fluid, highlighting a priority for future research.

As we observe International Women’s Day 2025 under the theme #AccelerateAction, it is imperative to recognise and address the unique challenges women face in pain management. By accelerating research and implementing targeted strategies, we can work towards reducing disparities and improving outcomes for women experiencing chronic pain.

Please see recent relevant articles in the European Journal of Pain below:

The Role of Negative Affect and Experiential Avoidance in Postsurgical Pain and Fatigue Among Norwegian Women With Breast Cancer

Spontaneous Pain and Pain Sensitivity in Response to Prolonged Experimental Sleep Disturbances—Potential Sex Differences

Comprehensive and Efficient Assessment of Psychological Flexibility in the Context of Chronic Pain

A two-component model of hair cortisol concentration in fibromyalgia: Independent effects of pain chronicity and severity

Clinical signs in the jaw and neck region following whiplash trauma—A 2-year follow-up

Cognitive-affective changes mediate the mindfulness-based intervention effect on endometriosis-related pain and mental health: A path analysis approach

Cervical muscle parameters and allodynia in migraine and cervical pain—A controlled study

Sociodemographic disparities and potential biases in persistent pain estimates: Findings from 5 waves of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

Clinical relevance of resistance training in women with fibromyalgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Women authorship in pain research: A bibliometric analysis from 2002 to 2021

Sex differences in lifetime prevalence of low back pain: A multinational study of opposite-sex twin pairs