Marija Butkovic’s Post

Women spend 25% more of their lives in debilitating health than men, according to a report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute. The women's health gap includes a persistent data gap, with women being underdiagnosed for certain conditions compared to men. Although the world has reached important milestones towards gender parity in recent years, there remains much to be done.-- especially concerning the gender health gap. Here's why the gap is so important to understand -- and six conditions that highlight it. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth https://buff.ly/3zqTcpD

The whole system is very much built for male biology as when it was built, women were not part of the process and no consideration was therefore given to their biology. The most successful women often pay the highest price as their success comes at a cost because they are forced to deny and work against their biology in order to conform to the current system. When any consideration is given to female biology, we tend to talk about ‘making allowances’ and ‘tip-toeing’, we are creating discrimination laws as if being a female is a disability and try to convince women they can have it all and if they don’t, it is them that are lacking. What needs to happen, is a complete structural and cultural change, so we can create, live and thrive in a society that is accesible and supportive of all needs, that lets go of arbitrary rules and allows people to do the best they can with what they’ve got. Flexible working and reasonable workplace adjustments are a good place to start, but we have a long way to go. That’s why part of our mission is to empower businesses with the tools and knowledge to create an inclusive and supportive environment for their female workforce. The other part is empowering and educating women, so they can be not only part of the process, but at the vanguard of it, leading the way. We start the conversations and give platform to wise, brave and altogether incredible women to light the way. We support female led business and form alliances with men that have seen the light. This week we are bringing you a great podcast with two incredible women, who are working very hard towards our common goal of more inclusive society. Stay tuned. #Healthcare #femalehealth #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #women #womeninbusiness #womenshealth #menopause #perimenopause #fertility #pregnancy #birth #postnatal #maternity #flexappeal

#EndGenderBias Survey Summary Report, commissioned by the National Women’s Health Advisory Council, discovered that: - Two thirds of women report they experienced health care related gender bias or discrimination themselves, and almost 80% of caregivers reported that a person they cared for had similar experiences - Sexual and reproductive health and chronic pain were the top areas where women experienced gender-bias  - More than 70% of women experienced bias in the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions  - More than 70% of women reported they experienced bias in GP visits. This highlights how important it is to improve access, affordability and safety to healthcare and outcomes for women. Full report in comment below #genderbias #womenshealth #maternitycare #pregnancycare #femtech

On #internationalwomensday2024 we think a little more about women's issues than usual, but, honestly, they are never far from Louise Chunn and Alice McGurran's mind at Welldoing.org.

There is a gender equity gap in healthcare and an urgent need to address it. Every day, nearly 800 women around the world die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth according to the World Health Organization. As we commemorate International Day of Action for Women's Health, let’s focus on the challenge of reaching more women with necessary services, especially taking into account drastic understaffing in clinics and hospitals around the world. #HealthEquity #WomensHealth

How can we invest in women to accelerate progress? "Women’s progress in development has long been affected by unfavorable policies, coupled with domestic gender roles that keep them out of the public arena, where most of the development discussions and opportunities are presented. The following investments can accelerate progress and address barriers to inclusion: * Invest in accommodative education systems * Make affordable credit facilities available * Provide a conducive work environment that allows women to take on roles related to childbearing and care, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding time. * Ensure reliable health systems, which helps assure the survival of children and infants," - Harriet Komujuni, WI-HER Senior Gender and Youth Advisor #WomensDay2024 #InvestInWomen #AccelerateProgress #InspireInclusion

Social media platforms, influenced by algorithms likely based on male data and behaviors, tend to sideline content related to women's health and sexual wellbeing. This results in a significant gender data gap and impacts the visibility and reach of content that deviates from male-normative priorities. The censorship of women’s health topics, like sexual health, menstruation, and body confidence, on platforms like Meta and TikTok contributes to a lack of awareness and information. This not only perpetuates the gender health gap but also affects women's ability to share and access important health-related content freely. Raising our voices for the silenced. Together, we can transform silence into dialogue, censorship into freedom. Let's create a space where every voice is heard and every story matters. 🌍✨ #Tech4Eva #EPFLInnovationPark #GroupeMutuel #Femtech #womenshealthmatters #periodhealth #wellbeing #fertility #pregnancy #prevention #treatment #menopause #oncology #diagnostics #therapeutics #medtech #digitalhealth #health #innovation #entrepreneurs

#Anaemia is a #serious global public health problem that particularly affects young #children, menstruating #adolescent girls and #women, and #pregnant and #postpartum women. #Globally, it is estimated that in 2019, 40% of all #children aged 6–59 months, 37% of #pregnant women and 30% of women 15–49 years of age were affected by #anaemia. The WHO African Region and WHO South-East Asia Region are the regions #most #affected. For all population groups combined, it is estimated that nearly one quarter of the world’s population, or 1.8 billion people, suffered from some form of #anaemia in 2019. https://lnkd.in/diNKiHdw World Health Organization

Great piece unpacking the structural factors that can lead well-intentioned providers in the U.S. to push #LARCs over other methods - especially for Black and low-income people. I particularly like that it doesn't place sole blame on providers, acknowledging the real challenges they face working in a health system that is fundamentally broken and discriminatory.  While the article is U.S.-focused, I encourage my #globalhealth colleagues to read. There are many parallels and the recommendation to (re)focus on patient-centered care seems particularly relevant in #LMICs to prevent provider-based #reproductivecoercion.  A lot of gems in this piece, but this is a favorite:  "...the notion of fighting poverty and saving money by reducing unplanned pregnancies misses a big point: poverty is not caused by pregnancy. Many women are poor when they get pregnant because of entrenched social issues. Advising them to wait for a better time to have a baby implies that women who are poor shouldn’t procreate. Saying that unplanned pregnancies cause poverty “stigmatizes poor women, especially poor women of color, and blames them for profound inequality that’s actually caused by things like lack of access to meaningful employment or safe schools,” says Patrick Grzanka, a psychology professor at the University of Tennessee who has studied LARC coercion." https://lnkd.in/ePsvezes 

For #contraceptiveaccess to ensure reproductive autonomy, reproductive justice, and gender equity is informed consent. Just as everyone should have the right to use contraceptives should they choose, it is equally critical that they also have the right not to. "But an increasing body of evidence indicates that an important public health tool intended to give women agency over their bodies is at times deployed in ways that take it away," writes Alana Semuels. This article places a horrifying spotlight on the coercion that is all too present in many of the programs & policies that define family planning access, calling out the racist structures that underpin our health systems at tremendous scale. #ReproductiveHealth programs & counselling must center the needs and wants of the patient. https://lnkd.in/ePsvezes