FemTech: In a Quest For Better Female Health The term 'femTech' was coined in 2016 by Danish entrepreneur Ida Tin, as a way to legitimize and drive innovation in the female health technology sector
By Deep Bajaj
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
There has been little innovation in the female healthcare industry for years—the applicator tampon was introduced in the 1930s, the birth control pill was invented in the 1950s and the self-adhesive pantyliner came about only in the 1970s. Now is a great time for wellness entrepreneurs at work. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the world even more susceptible to health-related measures and technology. As a result, femTech is a wonderful tool that solves many problems related to vulva owners' health.
What is femTech?
FemTech refers to technology that addresses female biological needs. It is a relatively new term, coined in 2016 by Danish entrepreneur Ida Tin, to legitimize the female health technology market and drive investment and innovation in the space.
In just a few years, it has grown to encompass a range of technology-enabled, consumer-centric products and solutions. FemTech provides a wide range of solutions to improve healthcare for vulva owners across several female-specific conditions including maternal health, menstrual health, pelvic and sexual health, fertility, menopause and contraception, as well as general health conditions that affect vulva owners differently. As opportunities in female healthcare accelerate, femTech is helping bridge the gap slowly but surely.
The quest
The purpose of femTech is to solve unaddressed problems in the female health category. The goal is to achieve better overall hygiene, especially menstrual and intimate, for everyone.
While vulva owners are spearheading the femTech revolution, as they must, since nobody understands their body better than they do, we also need to change how men understand these issues. Regardless of gender, people should be sensitized to female issues and respond with empathy, knowledge and care at the very least. Apart from offering products and services that exclusively cater to female health and wellness, it is important for brands to invest a great deal in conversations around subjects that are typically considered taboo. As important as it is to have products and services that make the lives of vulva owners easier, it is important to also have safe spaces and communities where one can engage in conversations about these products and services. How does one solve a problem without really talking about it? It's impossible.
FemTech in India is more than just a want. It's a dire need. To cater to the large population, to break the innate taboos that pose barriers to conversations in this space, to grow as the country grows, to promote menstrual hygiene. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable change in the way femTech brands have been received by people from varied economic and social backgrounds. FemTech is impacting India for the better.
The femTech market
India, being at a nascent stage, has just begun tapping into innovative products such as solutions for period pain, user-friendly period trackers, sustainable options such as menstrual cups, and more. The ambit of femTech could possibly revolutionize the way we look at menstruation, birth control, fertility, menopause, pelvic health, gynecological health, and everything that falls within this large umbrella.
Globally, the femTech market is projected to reach an impressive $60.01 billion by 2027 from $18.75 billion in 2019, according to a recent report by Emergen Research. In India too, the femTech market is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 17 per cent. It's only likely that more players will enter the femTech market. And if they do, it should only be for all the right reasons—problem-solving, innovating, and improving the lives of vulva owners., vulva,
