top of page
Search

Women in Pain: Reflections from the BPS × WiNUK Webinar

On 26th November, the British Pain Society (BPS) and Women in Neuroscience UK (WiNUK) hosted Women in Pain, a webinar attended by over 200 participants from academia, healthcare, and patient communities. The event highlighted a crucial message: women’s pain is frequently under-recognised, under-researched, and dismissed. The speakers - Prof. Kirsty Bannister, Prof. Katy Vincent, and Dr. Letizia Pontoriero - offered three complementary perspectives: the researcher navigating a male-dominated scientific landscape, the clinician investigating sex differences in pain mechanisms, and the patient advocate reframing how we understand and support those living with chronic pain. Below, we summarise key insights and themes from the session.



Understanding Pain Through a Gender Lens


The session began by framing pain according to the IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain) definition: a subjective sensory and emotional experience influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. For women, however, this experience is often compounded by diagnostic delays, implicit bias, and a history of medical dismissal. Findings from the Nurofen 2024 report highlighted the scale of the problem: half of women feel their pain is dismissed, diagnoses are slower, mental health burdens are high, and nearly three-quarters report experiencing gender bias in clinical settings. For a deeper exploration of these disparities, see our blog ‘Does it hurt more being a woman? Understanding Sex Differences in Pain Perception’. 


Against this backdrop, the webinar aimed to spotlight women’s pain, elevate underrepresented perspectives, and promote research and clinical practice that is truly gender inclusive.



Being a Woman in Pain Neuroscience, Prof. Kirsty Bannister


Prof. Kirsty Bannister shared her personal journey through academia, illustrating the unique challenges faced by women in research. From being a first-generation academic inspired by a high school biology teacher, to completing a PhD she did not enjoy, she eventually found her niche in pain neuroscience. Over nine years, she developed expertise in electrophysiology while balancing part-time work and raising two children. Her career path has been shaped as much by personal values and family considerations as by scientific opportunity, including decisions to turn down high-paying industry roles in favour of a sustainable academic life.


Bannister highlighted persistent challenges, including imposter syndrome, inadequate structural support for caregivers, bullying, harassment, and the leaky pipeline in senior positions. She emphasised the importance of mentorship, seeking out the right opportunities, and fostering supportive environments, as well as cross-women solidarity. Her reflections underscored that aligning career decisions with personal values is key to maintaining passion and wellbeing in academia.



Why Women’s Pain Must Be Studied, Prof. Katy Vincent


Prof. Katy Vincent made the case for why women’s pain deserves dedicated research attention. Women experience pain more frequently, more intensely, and across a wider range of conditions than men (Nurofen, 2024). Many forms of pain are specific to female biology, including menstrual disorders, endometriosis, pregnancy-related conditions, and menopause. Routine procedures such as coil insertion, cervical smears, and hysteroscopies can be painful yet are normalised, often discouraging follow-up care and increasing long-term health risks. For example, painful smear tests may lead women to avoid subsequent screenings, raising future cancer risk.


Vincent discussed the consequences of chronic pelvic pain, which affects approximately 24% of women and has a quality-of-life impact comparable to major chronic illnesses. Research predominantly conducted in men is often unrepresentative, yet funding calls focused specifically on women’s pain remain rare. Researchers must therefore justify the need for women-centred studies in grant applications.


Despite these challenges, Vincent highlighted the vibrancy of the women’s pain research community. Her lab and clinical teams, almost exclusively composed of women, reflect a collaborative and passionate network of scientists. She praised colleagues such as genetic epidemiologist Karina Zondefen for championing women-focused research both in Oxford and internationally.



Living With Chronic Pain & Advocating for Patients, Dr. Letizia Pontoriero


Dr. Letizia Pontoriero offered a deeply personal and analytical perspective on living with chronic pain. A scientist with a PhD in chemistry and a career in non-profit project management, Pontoriero has experienced chronic pain since childhood. For decades, she normalised her symptoms, lacking the language or evidence to articulate them, until formal diagnoses of fibromyalgia (2022) and endometriosis (2024) finally provided validation. For more on the lived experience of endometriosis and the importance of storytelling in women’s pain, read our blog Endometriosis, Women’s Pain, and the Power of Storytelling: A Review of Sophie Richards on Her Discussions with Dr. Faye Bate.


Pontoriero discussed the challenges in communicating pain, which is inherently subjective, and the common clinical separation of emotional and physical experiences. Women often encounter paternalistic language or clinical gaslighting, with comments such as “you’re just depressed” or “it’s just period pain,” which contribute to self-doubt and internalised minimisation of symptoms.


Her role as a patient expert bridges lived experience with technical knowledge, allowing her to contribute to clinical research, regulatory processes, patient-reported outcomes, and health economics. She emphasised that understanding pain is incomplete without incorporating the perspectives of those who live it. Pontoriero also highlighted social and structural factors influencing pain. Trauma and gender-based violence double the risk of chronic pain, which in turn affects education, employment, relationships, and overall wellbeing. Chronic pain carries a substantial economic burden, with studies estimating costs of 4% of GDP in Norway and ~€5,000 per patient annually in Italy (Stubhaug et al., 2024). Sexual health and the experiences of trans women remain critically understudied.


She concluded with a powerful message: pain is not natural; pain is gendered and social, and solutions must reflect this reality.



Q&A: Key Themes


The interactive Q&A session explored how global initiatives, funding, and gendered social norms intersect with research and clinical practice.


Do global initiatives like IASP’s Global Year change funding?

While they raise awareness, create resources, and shape discourse, structural funding changes are slower and typically driven by policy bodies and task forces, rather than by single-year campaigns.


How can we pressure funders?

Progress is taking shape: UKRI and NIHR now require both sexes to be represented in research unless explicitly justified otherwise, and more studies include secondary sex-disaggregated analyses. However, women’s health, including pain research, remains severely underfunded overall.


Do gender stereotypes affect pain onset or chronicity?

Evidence is limited but suggestive. Social expectations, trauma, stress, and gender-based discrimination may contribute to the onset and severity of chronic pain. Clinically, stereotypes influence credibility and interpretation of symptoms. The study of gender (distinct from biological sex) remains dramatically underdeveloped.


Imposter syndrome and academic survival 

Speakers agreed that imposter syndrome is ubiquitous and persistent. Strategies for navigating it include recognising that your “best” is enough, aligning career decisions with personal values, seeking mentorship and community support, and accepting that doubt is normal, not disqualifying.



Final Reflections


This webinar showcased what happens when researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates come together with honesty and purpose. Three clear themes emerged:

  1. Women’s pain is real, widespread, and still too often overlooked.

  2. Scientific and clinical systems must adapt to gendered realities rather than treating them as exceptions.

  3. Women’s voices, both from those who study pain and those who live with it, are essential to building a more inclusive and just future for pain science.

WiNUK is proud to have co-organised this event with BPS and looks forward to continuing our work to elevate women’s neuroscience, promote equity, and foster a multidisciplinary approach. If you missed the webinar, watch the recording here. Stay connected with WiNUK on our social channels for upcoming events, blogs, and opportunities to get involved.


References


This article was written by Neave Smith and edited by Rebecca Pope, with graphics produced by Ciara Lee. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.

Comments

bottom of page