Empowering rural women: why joining clinical trials matters

Before sunrise on her farm in Western NSW, Felicity begins her day tending to animals, supporting the family business, making sure her children don’t miss the school bus and caring for her elderly mother. Her routine reflects the reality for many rural women who balance multiple roles within their households and communities.

Despite their contributions, rural women like Felicity have often been overlooked in medical research. Clinical trials have traditionally been concentrated in metropolitan areas, limiting access for those living far from large hospitals. This means there is a lack of data to show how treatments work for women living outside metropolitan settings. This is changing and expanding trials into rural areas offers an opportunity to close that gap and ensure research reflects the diversity of those it aims to serve.

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are research studies that test new ways to prevent, detect or treat diseases. They’re essential for improving healthcare and ensuring that treatments work for everyone, not just those in big cities or large hospitals. By joining a trial, women like Felicity can not only access new treatments and medical innovations but also make sure women’s needs are represented in the data.

Why should women in rural areas get involved?

For Felicity, joining a clinical trial wasn’t something she ever imagined, but when her local GP told her about a study she could join without leaving her community, it changed what she thought about medical research.

Whether you’re living with a chronic condition, caring for loved ones or simply interested in better health, participating in a clinical trial offers real benefits.[1] Women have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials, leading to significant gaps in understanding how treatments affect them, which can contribute to health disparities.  The Rural, Regional and Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Program wants to change this and encourage rural women to have the same opportunities to participate in research.

“Being part of the trial gave me access to treatments I wouldn’t have otherwise known about,” said Felicity. “I felt supported, and I learned so much more about my own health. It was reassuring to know that people were keeping a close eye on me.”

Personal benefits

• Access to cutting-edge treatments before they’re widely available.
• Closer monitoring and care from medical professionals.
• Empowerment through knowledge—learn more about your health and options.
• Depending on the trial, you may not have to leave your home with flexible trial options across many different areas of healthcare.
• For some trials, there is financial assistance from the NSW Government to help with your travel and accommodation costs (see Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) to learn more).

Community benefits

• Representation matters: your participation ensures rural women’s health needs are considered in research.
• Better healthcare for future generations: your involvement helps shape treatments that work for your daughters, nieces and neighbours.
• Stronger local services: clinical trials can bring resources and attention to rural clinics and hospitals, further building the health workforce and capacity of local services in your community.

Real voices, real impact

Rural women’s voices, health and experience matters. By joining a clinical trial, women like Felicity can help science and rural women everywhere to gain access to better care.

How to get started

To take the first step:

• Speak to a trusted healthcare professional: your GP can help you understand what trials are available.
• Visit Australian Clinical Trials: this Government-run website lists current trials across Australia and what to expect.
• Sign up to a clinical trial registry:
  • View a comprehensive list of registries
• Or contact the nearest Cluster team, as part of the Rural Regional and Remote Clinical Trial Enabling Program:
  • Contact your nearest Cluster (Western, Northern, Southern)

[1] Liu KA, Mager NA. Women’s involvement in clinical trials: historical perspective and future implications. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2016 Jan-Mar;14(1):708. doi: 10.18549/PharmPract.2016.01.708. Epub 2016 Mar 15. PMID: 27011778; PMCID: PMC4800017.