There has been a systematic and largely unconscious neglect of gender in palliativecare research, practice and policy. This is despite significant, although previously uncollated,evidence that gender influences almost all aspects of end-of-life preferences, experiencesand care. The social situations of women, transgender people and men often differ fromone another while also intersecting in complex ways with sex differences rooted in biology.If palliative care is to meet its aspiration of providing universal benefit, it urgently needs toaddress a range of gender inequalities currently (re)produced at the level of the laboratoryall the way through to government departments. In this call to arms, we spotlight specificinstances where gender inequalities have been documented, for example, regarding end-oflife caregiving, end-of-life intervention and palliative care access and benefit. We highlighthow gender inequalities intersect with other social determinants of health including ethnicityand economic status to exacerbate situations of marginality. We conclude by offering somepractical steps that can be taken to support the discipline to adopt a more critical gender lensto support more equitable research, policy and practice.
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