Why Women-Centric Health Matters

Each March, the business community collectively celebrates women – marking International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month with tributes and issues-related content. As we turn the calendar page, BRG remains committed to keeping one “women’s issue” front-and-center all year long: women’s health.

Why? Because not only do women face unique and critical health issues, but they have great power and responsibility for our society’s overall well-being.

Consider these facts:

• Many critical health issues affect women either exclusively or disproportionately, including reproductive care, maternal and pregnancy care, breast cancer, cervical and ovarian cancer, menopause, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, osteoporosis, depression and anxiety.
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women – and yet, in women, the condition is often misdiagnosed or treatment delayed.
• Women make 80% of the health decisions in family relationships
• Women spend 15.4 billion more dollars out-of-pocket on health than men each year
• Women make up a disproportionate number of unpaid caregivers for others

The healthcare marketplace seems finally to be awakening to the priority of women’s health. In the rapidly growing digital health arena, “FemTech” (a term coined in 2016 to describe technologies to address women’s health and wellness) is on the rise. Per FemHealth Insights over the past decade, there has been a 1,000% increase in the number of FemTech businesses. And the new variety of tech tools for women was evident at this year’s Consumer Electronics show. We came away impressed and inspired by companies like Identifyher and Amira, which are harnessing the power of wearables to help manage menopause symptoms and the telemedicine platform Wisp, which brings a new level of convenience to addressing common gynecological health issues.

There is still a long way to go – despite the promise of innovation in women’s health, companies in the women’s health space are (per Deloitte analysis of Pitchbook data) only attracting 2% of the venture funding allocated for the health care industry. Inspiring continued investment, per Deloitte, will take a “collective effort from female investors, founders, and leaders in government and industry, as well as male allies.”  What likely has spurred investment to date, say the analysts, is greater public awareness of gender disparities.

BRG agrees: awareness is a vital ingredient for advancing women’s health.

As an agency specialized in Communications for Better Living™, BRG tells the compelling stories that drive impact, spark change and help people live longer, healthier and better lives. And, as a woman-owned agency, which employs many women at all stages of life, we are particularly passionate about promoting women’s health.

Whether spreading the word on maternal care deserts, urging screenings for early detection of gynecological cancers worldwide or raising awareness of disparities in women’s heart health, BRG amplifies the issues, data and voices that move the needle on healthcare for women. We’re proud and enthusiastic champions of organizations – FemTech startups, nonprofits, care providers, medical associations and more– that are similarly committed.

As the adage goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats.”  Such is the case for raising awareness of gender disparities in healthcare, which illuminates unmet needs and areas of opportunity and inspires innovation to benefit women. And because of the outsized influence of women on their families and communities, better health for women leads to better health for the overall population.