Bridging the Gap: Women in Women's Health Tech

Written by Beenish Zia and Kaeli Tully , edited by Megan Kuo .

Summary: In healthcare technology, women's voices have often been overlooked despite their critical role in designing and innovating many healthcare devices. This lack of representation has led to a gap in understanding and addressing the unique healthcare needs of women. However, there is a growing movement to change this narrative, starting with International Women's Day (IWD) and recognizing the achievements of women in healthcare technology. By celebrating IWD and promoting more inclusive and diverse perspectives in the industry, we can inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in technology and drive innovation in women's health.

This International Women's Day (IWD), we celebrate the remarkable people shaping the future of women's health technology. But the journey for equitable healthcare innovation is far from over.

A critical gap exists; women who makeup over half the population and often drive healthcare decisions for their families are often underrepresented in designing the very technologies they use.

Imagine women’s health treatment and diagnostics tools designed by teams reflecting the diversity of the women they serve! There is an opportunity to improve the customer experience and patient outcomes for half of our population.

This highlights the importance of gender parity in product development, marketing, and leadership, which involves everything from healthcare leaders to the ingredient providers behind the scenes and everything in between.

While acknowledging the inspiring work of men in the field, like the creators of the Flo application, the potential for improvement when women actively participate in shaping healthcare solutions is immense. Our lived experiences and perspectives are invaluable assets that can lead to more effective and user-centric technologies.

International Women’s Day

People need something they can relate to – a community, a support network. This is critical not only for our well-being but also for our longevity (CDC).

“People with stronger social bonds have a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those who have fewer social connections.” (CDC)

To help provide cultural and societal support, IWD helps provide awareness and drive cultural change to help this community overcome challenges and have a place to feel like women belong.

Being surrounded by like-minded people can empower and make a difference. And, as this article demonstrates, we hope that IWD can help us provide more awareness about the need for more women representation in women’s MedTech.

Challenges in the Industry

Women face several challenges in the healthcare technology sector, including a lack of confidence, imbalanced societal expectations, and a need for cultural shifts.

• “Despite incremental steps forward in the past decade, women—particularly those of color—are significantly underrepresented in corporate America. The situation is especially dire in senior leadership; only 25% of C-level leaders are women, and a mere 5% represent racial minority females.” (Women Tech Network). Women must see more women thriving in tech and leadership roles to pursue similar paths, whether the next-generation engineer aspiring to become a senior technical lead or the young girl on social media seeing women pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• We must challenge societal norms that discourage women from pursuing careers in tech and healthcare. Per statistics from the Women Tech Network, “Women make up 35% of employees in STEM in the U.S.” This is a responsibility that each of us holds. We all succeed when women succeed. It could be as simple as welcoming all voices in a conversation and avoiding delegating notetaking to one person.
• Encouraging women to embrace their expertise and overcome self-doubt is essential. We have noticed that many women overlook their own experiences. We can all obtain technical skills. The associated cultural transformation is also key for inclusion, “The WomenTech Network survey further reveals that women often experience microaggressions at work. About 64% of respondents have been spoken over during meetings, 19% have felt pigeonholed by stereotypes in various situations, and 11% have been asked to ‘supply the food’ during meetings.” (Women Tech Network)

The good news?

The tide is turning. We are seeing an increase in inclusive workplaces that foster environments where diverse voices are heard and valued.

Heritage holidays, milestones, and groups, like International Women’s Month, IWD, and groups like to Society of Women Engineers (SWE), IEEE Women In Engineering, ACM’s Women in Computing, Women in Tech, and more, help empower women in tech, no matter what stage in your career.

Imagine women’s health treatment and diagnostics tools designed by teams reflecting the diversity of the women they serve!

Encouraging women to pursue STEM education and careers is crucial for building a future pipeline of female innovators.

Many men are becoming better advocates and allies for advancing gender equity and building a healthier, inclusive community.

We are both honored to work on teams that leverage combined strengths with collaboration between men and women. This is essential for creating a more inclusive and innovative healthcare landscape.

Celebrating Women’s Health Advancements

Technology improves healthcare outcomes for women in several ways; some are perhaps more obvious, while others may not.

On the one hand, we see established technologies like menstrual tracking apps, smart wearable devices, and various birth control methods providing women with greater control and understanding of their bodies. Advances in cancer screening and treatment, such as mammograms, HPV vaccines, and improved therapies, are saving lives.

Looking ahead, emerging applications like AI-powered chatbots for women's health and AI-based diagnostic tools hold promise for improved access to care and personalized recommendations. Telehealth offers increased convenience and helps with diverse needs and preferences, increasing access to mental health and medical services.

There’s still room for progress. Integrating emotional support into healthcare and developing tools that empower women to connect more deeply with their bodies is crucial for future innovation.

In addition, data from the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that 75% of maternal deaths and injuries are preventable (WHO 2019).

“… delays in seeking care, lack of transportation, delays in diagnosing, misdiagnosis and delays in treatment are the top preventable measures that need addressing” (Happy Mama)

For example, Happy Mama is a holistic therapeutic solution tailored to the specific needs of women during the perinatal period, spanning from pre-pregnancy to one year postpartum. It promotes clinical decision-making assistance and enhances support, empowering women throughout their journey. This solution facilitates better communication and cooperation between healthcare providers and expectant mothers while promoting self-care and facilitating access to community and social resources (Happy Mama).

We also see tools, such as ChatGPT, helping more women develop and scale their technological innovation and providing more inclusive copywriting support.

We All Can Make a Difference

The more diverse our workforce, the more impactful and creative our innovation can be. From outside-of-the-box thinking to advancing cancer treatment to improving women’s health, the positive impacts of inclusion benefit us all.

We encourage you to be the role model and change you want to see. No matter who you are, you can make a difference by the following actions:

• Support organizations that champion women in STEM and healthcare tech.
• Join the conversation and share your experiences and ideas on social media.
• Pursue careers in healthcare innovation and advocate for women-inclusive design.
• Mentor and inspire young women to pursue their passions in STEM.

Imagine a future where we dismantle stereotypes, empower women in STEM, and expand access to quality healthcare. This future is achievable through collaboration, inclusivity, and a shared commitment to innovation.

Let's celebrate the people transforming the landscape of women's health tech and work together to create a healthier tomorrow for all.

Please feel free to connect with us to share, ask, learn, and make changes together.

#inspireinclusion #internationalwomensday #womenintech #womeninmedtech

Beenish Zia is a Chief Architect for Medical Imaging and Digital Health. She is an ingenious electrical engineer on a relentless journey to evolve healthcare with technology. Reach out to learn more from her here.

Kaeli Tully is a Healthcare Systems and Solutions Engineer working across the ecosystem to deliver innovative solutions. She has a Bachelor of Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Reach out to learn more from her here.