Health experts have raised the alarm that gender inequality, violence against women, and limited access to healthcare were accelerating the global crisis of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), warning that the fight against drug-resistant infections cannot succeed without addressing deep-rooted social and gender disparities.
The warning was issued during an AMR Dialogues session themed “Antimicrobial Resistance Under Gender Lens,” where global health specialists argued that women and girls face disproportionate risks of infections and inappropriate antibiotic use due to social norms, stigma and limited healthcare access.
They noted that antimicrobial resistance caused largely by misuse and overuse of medicines in human health, livestock and agriculture, has become a major global health threat, but its gender dimensions remain largely overlooked in policies and national action plans.
Former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Soumya Swaminathan, noted that violence against women and restricted healthcare access significantly increase women’s vulnerability to drug-resistant infections.
Swaminathan explained that women facing intimate partner violence often suffer injuries and infections but are less likely to seek timely care, leading to delayed treatment and inappropriate antibiotic use.
She said: “Women are at a very high risk of intimate partner violence or domestic violence. This could lead to more infections, and because of their position within the household and community they are less likely to seek timely and adequate care.”
Swaminathan added that sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections and reproductive tract infections linked to sexual violence often require antibiotic treatment, increasing the risk of resistance when drugs are misused or taken incompletely.
According to her, biological factors such as menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth, combined with poor access to hygiene and reproductive health services, also heighten women’s exposure to infections and antibiotic use.
An AMR survivor and member of the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors, Bhakti Chavan, said stigma surrounding diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS forces many women to hide their illnesses, delay testing or discontinue treatment.
“In many communities a woman diagnosed with TB or HIV is judged not only as a patient but as someone who has brought shame to the family.
“I have seen many women hide their illness, delay testing or stop treatment early to prevent family members or neighbours from finding out.”
Chavan stressed that untreated infections and incomplete treatment can accelerate the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.
Highlighting power imbalances in healthcare systems that disadvantage women, Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, Dr Esmita Charani, said women often have limited power to negotiate healthcare decisions or advocate for themselves within health systems.
“The burden of disease predominantly remains in populations that have the least access to resources, including antibiotics, to treat infections effectively,” she said.
Charani added that women frequently prioritise the health of other family members above their own and may only visit hospitals as caregivers rather than patients.
Principal Research Scientist at the Indian School of Business, Dr Deepshikha Batheja, explained that restrictions on women’s mobility, education and financial independence reduce their access to quality healthcare and proper diagnosis.
These conditions, she said, increase the likelihood of self-medication or inappropriate antibiotic use, which fuels antimicrobial resistance.
According to her, social norms surrounding caregiving responsibilities, financial control and education also influence how antibiotics are used.
Similarly, Youth Engagement Consultant at ReAct Asia Pacific, Dr Salman Khan, described AMR as both a scientific and social crisis shaped by inequality, power and decision-making structures.
“We often frame AMR as a technical problem where microbes evolve and drugs fail, but AMR is shaped by those who have power, whose health is prioritised and whose voices are heard in decision-making.”
Also speaking, the Founding President of the Pan Arab Women Physicians Association, Dr Maisam Waid Akroush, said women occupy key positions as mothers, caregivers, health workers and community influencers.
She emphasised that women could play a critical role in combating antibiotic misuse if properly empowered.
“Women are the head of the pyramid and a very important part of the equation. They can influence how antibiotics are used in families and communities.”
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Chairperson of the Global AMR Media Alliance, Shobha Shukla, warned that without urgent action the world risks losing the effectiveness of life-saving medicines.
“If we are to protect antibiotics and control drug-resistant infections, we must address gender inequality and ensure no one is left behind,” she said.
Shukla called for gender-responsive policies, better diagnostics, improved surveillance and stronger inclusion of women and youth in national AMR strategies. Aligning with other experts, she urged governments to integrate gender-based violence indicators into national AMR action plans and ensure equitable access to healthcare services.