Longevity - A gender lens perspective
Tue 30 Sept
|Hiltl Academy Zurich


Time & Location
30 Sept 2025, 18:00 – 21:00 CEST
Hiltl Academy Zurich, Sihlstrasse 24, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
About the Event
Following our successful initiation event on the topic of Longevity past fall, we are welcoming our community to the continuation of this topic. This time we are looking at Longevity with a gender lens. We invite healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and all those interested to join us for another multidisciplinary dialogue.
Female Healthspan Lagging Behind Rising Life Expectancy
Women’s health is a critical enabler of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Ensuring access to comprehensive, equitable, and gender-responsive healthcare not only improves health outcomes for women but also contributes to broader societal and economic development. Improved maternal health, access to sexual and reproductive services, early detection of non-communicable diseases, and support during menopause all enhance women’s ability to participate fully in education, the workforce, and community life-thereby advancing goals related to poverty reduction, education (SDG 4), economic growth (SDG 8), and reduced inequalities (SDG 10).
While women live longer than men on average, they often spend more years managing preventable or poorly understood health conditions. This growing imbalance between lifespan and healthspan raises important questions: Why does it exist, where are the gaps, and how can we address them through science, policy, innovation, and investment?
This is why we need to start a discussion on Longevity from a female perspective: Historically, women's health has been narrowly defined by reproductive care—a framework often referred to as “bikini medicine.” This limited view has marginalized critical aspects of women’s health including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, mental health, and the long-overlooked post-menopausal years. Gender gaps in medical research and clinical trials continue to result in delayed diagnoses, inappropriate treatments, and systemic health inequities. And this is about to happen again in the current longevity discussion.
Men Fund It, Women Live It: The Paradox of the Current Longevity Discussion
Although women statistically live longer than men, the longevity sector—particularly its investment landscape—is currently predominantly driven and funded by men. This discrepancy reflects longstanding gender imbalances in both the financial and scientific communities, where men have historically held decision-making and capital allocation roles. Additionally, much of the early longevity discourse has focused on performance optimization, biohacking, and technological intervention—areas that have traditionally attracted male interest and funding.
Meanwhile, the specific healthspan needs of women—such as hormonal health, post-menopausal care, and sex-specific aging trajectories—have received comparatively limited attention. And this despite the market opportunites. As a result, the longevity sector risks overlooking the unique biological and social factors that shape aging in women, despite their longer lifespans and significant influence as healthcare decision-makers and consumers. Closing this gap presents both a scientific imperative and a market opportunity. Women’s health is not just a medical issue—it is a trillion-dollar economic opportunity. And this is where our Longevity discussion kicks in.
A Multidisciplinary Panel Bridging Health, Finance, Policy, and Media
The panel will comprise distinguished experts from the fields of medicine, finance, public policy, and media, who will engage in a cross-disciplinary dialogue on this topic, acknowledging the profound interdependence and interconnectedness of their respective domains.
Speakers will be announced in due course. If you are an expert in any of the aforementioned or adjacent fields and are interested in contributing to the panel, you are kindly invited to contact Marta Ra (marta.ra@wisfinternational.com).
What to expect
Insights into Emerging Innovations and Market Trends
Increased Awareness of Gaps in Research and Clinical Practice
Enhanced Understanding of Women's Health Across the Lifespan
Identification of Women’s Health as a Strategic Investment Opportunity
Facilitation of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Ventures welcome
We are welcoming ventures and solution providers who are contributing to the field of #WomenHealth. If you are interested in presenting your solution during our event, please send an email with a short pitch to info@wisfinternational.com.
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Registration
WISF Member
This event is free for members with a yearly membership
CHF 0.00
Non-Member
General Admission | This is the pay-per-event option available for Non-Members. Get your membership to register for free to this event.
CHF 39.00
Total
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