Knowledge, attitudes and practices on sex and gender in Swiss research ethics committees

Background

Scientific evidence remains gender-biased despite the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines publication. Overlooking sex and gender raises ethical concerns, which led to SAGER-swissethics recommendations for Research Ethics Committees (REC). Their implementation likely depends on the knowledge and attitudes of REC members. This study assesses REC members’ knowledge, attitudes and practices.

Methods

We conducted the first wave of a repeated online survey among 240 members from seven Swiss RECs (March 2026, follow-up planned at 1 year). Knowledge (score min-max 0-17), attitudes (0-205) and practices (0-14) were assessed. Outcomes are reported as medians and interquartile ranges, and compared by gender using Mann-Whitney tests.

Preliminary results

Among 75 participants, 35 identified as women (w) (47%) and 5 did not report their gender (7%). Overall (o), respondents showed substantial knowledge (o: 13, 11-14; w: 13.5, 12-14; men (m): 12.5, 10-14) and positive attitudes (o: 159, 146-175; w: 164, 156-179; m: 155, 141-170), but low levels of practices (o: 6, 4-8; w: 6, 4-8; m: 6, 6-8). While 55% had read the SAGER-swissethics recommendations, only 22% reported implementing them. Attitude scores were significantly higher in women (p = 0.008), with no evidence of gender differences in knowledge or practices.

Conclusions

Swiss REC members demonstrate good knowledge and positive attitudes towards sex and gender in research, with women expressing more positive attitudes than men. However, the low level of reported practices highlights a gap between awareness and implementation. Targeted interventions and identification of facilitators and barriers are needed to support the integration of sex and gender into ethical review processes.

Key messages

• Gaps in knowledge, attitudes, and practices emphasize the need for more targeted interventions.

• In particular, shortcomings in practices highlight the need to strengthen the uptake of existing guidelines.