Female CPR mannequins introduced to combat gender bias in first aid

Research led by Dr Rebecca Szabo indicates that the lack of female-representative CPR mannequins contributes to lower rates of bystander first aid for women. Globally, women are 27% less likely than men to receive CPR from bystanders. A 2022 study found that 94% of mannequins used in the Americas were male, 88% were white, and 99% were lean.

In Australia, where approximately 32,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually—35% of which involve women—the issue of bystander hesitation is a concern. For every minute a bystander delays due to concerns regarding propriety or modesty, a victim's chance of survival drops by 10%.

To combat this industry bias, St John WA and St Vincent's in New South Wales have introduced female training mannequins. Meanwhile, a project by Monash University and the Australian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium has identified specific high-risk Australian regions with high cardiac arrest incidence and low bystander CPR rates.