For Women's History Month, a columnist explores the gaps
Written by Mary Beth Skylis | March 19, 2026
Women’s History Month, celebrated each March, originated in 1978 when an educational task force in Santa Rosa, California, set out to highlight women’s contributions to society. This month also serves as a time for reflection on persistent issues such as the exclusion of women from textbooks and research. Historically, women have been overlooked and marginalized in scientific research, a pattern that regrettably continues in many fields, including Parkinson’s research.
While much of my column focuses on my dad’s experience with Parkinson’s disease, I want to take a moment to highlight some of the unique challenges faced by women living with Parkinson’s disease today.
In exploring the differences men and women encounter while navigating Parkinson’s, I discovered that women with the disease are misdiagnosed more frequently than men. One contributing factor is that Parkinson’s symptoms often manifest differently in women, who are more likely to experience non-motor symptoms. Furthermore, because much of Parkinson’s research has historically focused on men, emerging symptoms in women can be harder to recognize and diagnose.
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