May 28th isn’t just another date—it’s a day when the world focuses on two essential pillars of women’s health.
It’s the one date on the global calendar that spotlights not one, but two critical milestones: International Women’s Health Day and Menstrual Hygiene Day.
That’s no coincidence. It’s a deliberate and powerful pairing that tells the world that we can’t talk about women’s health without discussing menstrual health.
And yet, even in 2025, millions of women and girls are still left behind—without access, without dignity, without a voice.
While health tech is making waves and pushing boundaries, the reality is this: innovation means nothing if it doesn’t reach the women who need it most.
This article explores why May 28 matters, how far we’ve come, and what it’ll take to create a world where women’s health—every part of it—is treated as essential, not optional.
Why May 28th matters more than ever
May 28 has carried the banner of women’s health rights since 1987, when activists came together to demand real, lasting change in how we view and support sexual and reproductive health.
We’re talking about the right to contraception, safe abortion, respectful care, and honest education—rights that should be universal but still aren’t.
Then came Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2014, finally giving periods the space and attention they deserve. It’s not just about pads and tampons. It’s about basic human dignity.
Access to clean supplies, safe places to manage periods, and freedom from the stigma that still silences millions of women around the world.
Together, these two observances form a powerful front line in the fight for gender equality. They hold governments accountable to global promises, like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, especially the goal of sanitation and hygiene for all.
The truth is, when we ignore menstrual health, we don’t just ignore biology—we deny women their education, their income, their futures.
The alarming gaps in women’s health access and care
Despite increasing global awareness, women, particularly in low-income regions, continue to face severe, systemic barriers to health and hygiene. These are deep and dangerous inequities with real consequences.
The struggle for basic supplies
While most women in surveyed countries can access proper menstrual products, the exceptions are alarming.
In at least five nations, over 10% of women are forced to use toilet paper, old clothes, or nothing at all. This puts them at high risk for infections and long-term health complications.
Nowhere to go
Privacy is a luxury many women do not have. In rural Niger, less than half of the women have access to a safe, private place to manage their periods.
And this isn’t unique. Rural-urban divides are a consistent trend across multiple countries.
Missing out on life
Stigma and poor resources don’t just inconvenience women—they sideline them entirely. In Chad and the Central African Republic, 30% of women and girls skip school, work, or social events simply because they are menstruating.
Schools are failing girls
Only 39% of schools worldwide teach menstrual health—meaning most girls enter adulthood unprepared. What’s even worse is that just 1 in 3 schools provide something as basic as a disposal bin in girls’ bathrooms.
The consequences are devastating: 15% of girls miss school due to their periods, with absenteeism skyrocketing to 31% in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
When schools ignore this need, they are not just neglecting hygiene—they are robbing girls of their education.
We’re flying blind: The data problem
Shockingly, we do not even have enough data to fully grasp the issue. Only two countries track whether girls are informed about their first period.
Without this knowledge, how can we fix what we cannot see? Gaps stay hidden, policies miss the mark, and progress stalls even in wealthy nations.
The promise of healthtech
The challenges in women’s health are immense, but so is the innovation potential. The rise of healthtech and femtech is changing how we address these gaps, turning problems into solvable opportunities.
Projected to grow from $61 Bn in 2025 to $131 Bn by 2034, femtech is no longer a fringe market. It’s a sign that the world is finally realizing: women’s health is not a niche issue—it’s a global imperative.
Here’s how technology is stepping up:
Smarter cycle tracking:
Apps like Clue and wearables like the Oura Ring transform smartphones into personalised health dashboards, decoding cycle patterns, symptom trends, and even red flags that might otherwise go unnoticed. Knowledge is power, and now, it’s just a tap away.
Pill-free pain relief:
Devices like Livia use gentle electronic pulses to block period pain naturally. It’s a drug-free alternative for those wary of medication.
Sustainable solutions:
From Planera’s flushable pads to Vyld’s seaweed-based products, startups are merging sustainability with accessibility.
Healthcare without borders:
With just a smartphone, telemedicine platforms are dismantling two barriers simultaneously: geographic isolation and social stigma. Women can now avail immediate, judgment-free access to reproductive and hormonal healthcare without fear or logistical hurdles.
Faster diagnoses:
Machine learning is being trained to detect conditions like endometriosis faster, shortening the agonising 7- to 10-year diagnosis delays many faces.
Digital education that reaches everyone:
Social media and digital campaigns are spreading information about periods and reproductive health, reaching places where stigma still silences conversations on the topic.
With each innovation, we are building a future where women’s health is not accommodated, but anticipated; not treated as niche but recognised as essential.
Addressing the technological gap
Let’s be real, innovation alone isn’t enough. The tech is here. But the benefits aren’t reaching everyone equally.
Digital divide
Technology can transform healthcare, but not when entire communities are left out. Women from ethnic minorities, low-income backgrounds, or underserved regions often struggle with limited tech access, digital skills, or social barriers.
To bridge this gap, we need platforms that are affordable, accessible on basic devices, and functional even with poor connectivity.
Data scarcity and bias
For decades, women’s health has been undermined by research gaps and systemic data biases.
Now, digital health innovations present a crucial opportunity to course-correct, but only if we prioritise inclusive data collection.
When startups gather diverse clinical and lived experiences, they can finally develop care models that serve every woman.
Beyond product provision
Current investments in menstrual health are mostly focused on product distribution.
We can’t solve menstrual inequality with product distribution alone. Real change requires education, community involvement, and stigma-busting at every level.
Community-led innovation
Tech works best when it’s designed with local communities, not just for them. Co-creating solutions ensure cultural relevance, trust, localised problem-solving and long-term adoption.
The bottom line: Women’s health can’t wait
May 28 is not just a symbolic date—it’s a global check-in on whether we’re doing enough.
And right now, we’re not.
Every day, women are being held back by barriers that are solvable. Every missed class, every skipped paycheck, every infection caused by a lack of supplies or information—it’s all a failure of systems that should already be in place.
But there’s hope. Because with each new innovation, each inclusive policy, and each empowered conversation, we’re getting closer to a world that’s #PeriodFriendly and health-equitable.
Women’s health isn’t a side issue. It’s the issue. And May 28 is the reminder we need to act like it.
-By Alkama Sohail and the AHT Team
