Femtech (female technology) defines the rise in products, services and technologies tailored towards women’s health and wellbeing. Historically, despite making up half of the global population, women’s health is something often neglected, and not taken seriously. For example, only 17% of women feel that they know enough about their menstrual health, they are twice as likely as men to be misdiagnosed with a mental condition rather than their correct physical diagnosis, and they face a much higher proportion of medical gaslighting. Tech-enabled solutions are on the rise, and industry is projected to have a worth of at least $97 billion by 2030, and whilst there is enormous potential for these innovations, there also comes a danger.
The term was coined in 2016, and legitimised conversations in women’s health that had often been considered taboo, New business models and technologies are rapidly being developed. Still, the industry covers a variety of digital tools, apps and services, For instance, some of the most common uses of femtech are fertility tracking, sexual health accessibility, and symptom management for menopause and endometriosis. Additionally, these tools can be utilised to manage autoimmune disorders and diseases disproportionately affecting women. Considering this was a market previously ignored and sidelined, the total funding in the UK (in 2022) was over £565 million.
Whilst it could be used for a world of good, there are dangers to be vigilant of when implementing femtech in our lives. Despite half of the global population being target customers, only 1-2% of total health technology funding is invested in femtech. Gender bias not only affects the make up of technology companies, but female founders report their business being disadvantaged due to their gender. Language is sometimes banned and restricted by larger corporations (such as Amazon who wouldn’t let an at-home fertility kit use the term ‘vagina’).
One of the most major concerns is data privacy – these apps contain highly sensitive and hyper-personal data, which could be abused in the wrong contexts. Multiple menstrual tracking apps (including ‘Flo’) have faced scrutiny and public criticism for sharing data with third-party analytics and advertisers, often without clear user consent. There is a lack of privacy framework worldwide, proving governance to be difficult and regulation of data more complex. Furthermore, some countries and states have strict laws regarding fertility, and with a lack of safeguarding framework, users could be vulnerable to political surveillance. Reproductive rights have been under attack in different countries throughout history, consider Roe Vs Wade in America. In states where abortion is restricted, data stored on an app may be mishandled and manipulated. In these contexts, and beyond, women are oppressed, and access to such sensitive and private information can prove to be dangerous
Additionally, there is a stark diversity issue at hand. Not every woman experiences the same things in the same way. Despite their inclusive branding, femtech often thrives off of assumptions about women’s health, and with 75% of companies residing in Europe or the US, they cater primarily to white, Western women, leaving other groups underrepresented.
Whilst it is marketed as empowering, and finally women are being listened to, there is still a dark side to the development of femtech solutions, and things we need to remain wary of. This isn’t intended to put you off of using femtech, as it is a brilliant innovation and a long overdue resolution to the sidelining of women’s health, however, these corporations have a duty of care, so research the platforms you are using. Without strong data protection and truly inclusive designs, femtech may not achieve what is really possible.