Rehabilitation and Gender Equity: A Scoping Review Addressing the Intersection of Disability, Gender, and Sustainable Development Goal 5

Purpose: Rehabilitation is vital for health and functioning, yet women and girls with disabilities face unique barriers, and the link between gender equality (SDG 5), disability, and rehabilitation remain underexplored.Methods: This scoping review consisted of search from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020)(2021)(2022)(2023)(2024)(2025) for peer-reviewed studies on rehabilitation and gender equity.Inclusion criteria covered all rehabilitation domains and global regions; grey literature was excluded.Studies were charted by design, setting, and findings on gender-related access, use, and outcomes.Results: An estimated ~2.4 billion people worldwide need rehabilitation, and women make up just over half of this population.However, evidence suggests women often have poorer access and outcomes in rehabilitation.Gender norms, including caregiving roles and transport barriers, restrict women's access to rehabilitation, while gender-biased assistive technology design limits benefits.Evidence is mixed; one Italian study reported higher home discharge rates for women in psychiatric rehabilitation.Research on transgender, non-binary, and lowincome populations remains limited, underscoring the need to integrate disability within SDG 5 gender equity initiatives.Conclusion: Nascent data shows significant gender inequities in rehabilitation.Health systems must implement gender-responsive approaches (equipping professionals with knowledge of gender dynamics, adapting devices and services to women's needs, building caregiver resilience) and gather outcome measures disaggregated by sex.To align with SDG 5, rehabilitation policy and practice should integrate disability and gender -monitoring service use by gender and ensuring women with disabilities share in the benefits of "rehabilitation for all."