Health Awareness Initiatives

Over 90% of UK women’s health content is being censored on social platforms 😱😱😱 Unfortunately, I’m not surprised. When I worked at a lingerie brand, I saw how often the social team had to battle shadow bans - not for anything offensive, just for sharing content about women’s bodies. This kind of censorship doesn’t just affect engagement metrics. It affects people. It creates silence around things that need to be spoken about. Imagine giving birth and not knowing how to care for your body afterward. Imagine not being able to get hold of a midwife to ask simple, important questions. Imagine feeling unsure, overwhelmed, or even invisible. Unfortunately, you don’t have to imagine: → 40% of women in the UK said they couldn’t access a midwife after birth → 1 in 5 experience a mental health issue postpartum → 1 in 3 feel unprepared for their baby That’s why campaigns like Frida Uncensored feel so important. Frida - the mum and baby care brand - launched a campaign that puts real, graphic, honest content front and centre. It offers support and education for women navigating one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. It includes: 💻 An online library of uncensored, visual guides for postpartum care 🇬🇧 OOH ads across London, sparking visibility for underrepresented topics 📣 A paid casting call to hear and share more women’s stories And it's all done with both purpose. Because impactful campaigns don’t have to choose between heart and commercial success. So, what makes a powerful purpose-led campaign? It addresses a real, human problem It aligns with the brand’s values and audience truth It educates as well as engages It makes space for community and real voices It builds equity over time, not just clicks in the moment “The world doesn’t need another giant CGI handbag. It needs brands to solve real problems.” – Stefanie Sword-Williams FRSA (she/her) Frida’s work is a great reminder of what’s possible when creativity and care come together. I hope it’s the beginning of a longer movement, not just a moment. I’ll drop the website in the comments. Would love to hear what you think. ❤️ ------ 👋 I’m Jo Bird. Creative Director & Brand Builder 🎤 Now taking speaker bookings 🔗 Work with me - Link in bio

🩸 Never Just a Period 🩸 👏🏽 Absolutely LOVE this new campaign from Bodyform, ‘Never Just a Period’ brought to life by AMV BBDO. 💡 With sharp humour and a focus on the often-ignored aspects of women’s health, Bodyform delivers a powerful message about the urgent need for better menstrual health education. 🤔 The campaign challenges us to rethink our approach, pushing for a deeper understanding of women’s bodies & better support for managing their health. 🌍 Since 2020, Bodyform has surveyed 10,000 people across 10 countries, uncovering that over half of people who menstruate feel they lack crucial information about their periods. This data directly shaped the campaign’s bold message, aiming to close those knowledge gaps. 📺 What makes this campaign stand out is how it breaks away from the usual patronising ads that often gloss over or trivialise periods. 💸 As a female investor, I see many startup pitches in women's health. Periods are a crucial topic that’s still taboo for some. It’s important to demystify women's health to promote wellness and help women feel comfortable understanding their bodies & seeking help when needed. 🥊 Thank you, Bodyform, for delivering a long-overdue and refreshing perspective, proving that we don’t need to prance through fields of daisies or tackle gymnastic feats to have a meaningful and taboo-busting conversation about women’s health. ♻️ Re-share this post to your network if it resonated with you. 👩🏽⚕️ Follow me Dr Fiona Pathiraja-Møller for more posts about female health. #womenshealth #femaleleadership #femaleinvestor

The Concert Tax Only Women Pay! Ever received a WhatsApp location from someone who’s supposed to be having the night of their life? That happened to me last year. So it was around 8pm ish and my phone lit up with a pinned location.. The sender? My friend who’s supposed to be right in the middle of the concert that she had been looking forward to for months!!! Now, Deepti is no stranger to live music. Mumbai, Delhi, London, Germany. She’s been to concerts all around the world. Yet one thing never changes: what it means to be a woman in these spaces. While the crowd was lost in the music, she was dealing with: ➡️ ⁠The guy who kept “accidentally” bumping into her ➡️ ⁠A group staring at her instead of the stage ➡️ Calculating the safest exit route. Her Instagram story might have shown her vibing with a group of people. But the reality? Her thumb was busy sending me her live location, just in case. This shouldn’t be normal. This shouldn’t be expected. That’s why boAt Lifestyle’s #ConsHurts campaign feels like more than just marketing. It finally acknowledges the invisible concert experience half the audience endures. Their merch flips popular lyrics into powerful statements that can’t be ignored. When women wear these together, it’s more than fashion. It’s a visual community saying: We see this. We stand together. And we’re not accepting it anymore. #ConsHurts isn’t just a campaign. It’s a conversation we should have started years ago. #culture #community #womenempowerment #marketing #people

I'm born into a state that leads the country in literacy, healthcare, and progressive values - Kerala! But even in “model Kerala,” when it comes to menstrual dignity in the workplace, we’re still falling short. A recent study from Trivandrum found: 1. Over 62% of working women struggle with menstrual waste disposal at offices 2. Nearly 1 in 4 reported vaginal infections linked to poor hygiene infrastructure These aren’t factory floors. We’re talking banks, hospitals, IT firms, and schools; spaces where women show up to work, but the system forgets to show up for them. I've seen this up close: Women hiding used pads in handbags, flushing them out of embarrassment, or waiting till they get home because the workplace doesn’t have a clean bin. In 2025, this shouldn’t even be a conversation. But here we are. What gives me hope? Indian brands are already doing the work. Pee Safe – turning public hygiene into a movement Sirona – creating cups, patches, wipes, and education at scale FemiSafe – proudly Keralite, championing sustainable periods and accessibility And others like Nua, Boondh, Heyday - proving that period care can be empowering, not awkward. They’re not just selling products. They’re rebranding stigma into self-care. So here’s what workplaces (in Kerala and beyond) can start doing right now: - Provide pads, cups, and disposal bags - Clean, covered bins in every restroom (not just one!) - Sensitization for support staff - Celebrate initiatives like Kerala’s own Thinkal project distributing free menstrual cups to women across the state. Menstrual health isn’t a women’s issue. It’s a workplace issue. A policy issue. A design issue. A dignity issue. Real progress shows up in the most personal places like a restroom with a bin, a pad, and no stigma. Source: Manoramanews #menstrualhealth #d2cbrands

Imagine a world where you're 47% more likely to be seriously more injured in a car crash - because the seatbelt wasn’t designed with your body in mind... Or where medications prescribed to you haven’t been properly tested on people like you... Or even something as simple as your phone being too big to fit in your hand... It sounds dystopian. But for women, as Caroline Criado Perez highlights in her outstanding book "Invisible Women" - it’s just reality. This book is a masterclass in exposing the gender data gap and how so many of the systems, products, policies and technologies around us were designed with men as the default. Women, at best, are an afterthought. As a co-founder in the female health space, I’m used to seeing how women’s needs are overlooked, especially when it comes to periods. But reading this book reminded me just how deep that bias runs. - Women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed following a heart attack, because the “standard” symptoms were based on male bodies. - 8 out of 10 drugs pulled from the U.S. market in a 3-year period were found to pose greater health risks for women. - Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, yet it takes 7–8 years on average to get a diagnosis. - 75% of unpaid care work globally is done by women and at the same this this rarely recognised in economic models or policies. - Even public transport is designed around a “male commute,” ignoring women’s more complex travel patterns that involve multiple stops. At Riley Period Care | B Corp™, this is what drives us every day, to challenge these norms, to advocate for better education, and to push for actionable change that supports everyone with a cycle. Because you can't build inclusive solutions with exclusive data. Criado Perez doesn’t just highlight what’s wrong, she explains very eloquently how we got here, and what we need to do differently. This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness. It’s about equity and designing systems that reflect real lives. If you build products, write policies, lead teams, or even just exist in this world, please read this book. It will change how you see everything. What books have completely shifted your perspective? Drop them below, I’d love to add to my reading list! #InvisibleWomen #EquityNotEquality #FemaleHealth #GenderDataGap #FounderInsights #PeriodCare #BookReview

Healthcare failed me completely. So I built what should have existed. "I've tried everything. Nothing works." I hear this from women every day. The exhaustion of navigating contradictory advice. The frustration of treatments that address symptoms but not causes. The isolation of feeling like no one truly listens. I lived this reality. Here's why most approaches fail women: 👉 Health research excluded women until the 1990s. The NIH Revitalization Act mandated inclusion of women in clinical trials only in 1993. Result? 👉 70% of chronic pain patients are women, but 80% of pain studies use male mice or men. 👉 Women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack because cardiovascular guidelines are based on male-dominant studies. 👉 Only 4% of public health funding targets conditions specific to women. Most protocols were designed for male bodies or women outside reproductive years. Health guidelines rarely account for hormonal cycles. Women are told their symptoms are "in their head" or "normal" ❗ 64% of women feel dismissed by doctors when reporting pain. For years, I pieced together my own solutions. Tracked my own patterns. Created my own treatment plans. Coordinated between specialists who never spoke to each other. It was expensive. Time-consuming. And very overwhelming. Especially when I was already exhausted from being unwell. 71% of women with chronic conditions coordinate care between 3+ specialists. Women spend 40% more annually on healthcare than men, often due to this fragmented care. That's why I'm built Aeva Health. To create what I needed then: ✅ Health Insights: We help you notice patterns in sleep, mood, digestion, and energy throughout your cycle. ✅ Adaptive protocols: We change your diet, exercise, and stress management strategies to match your hormonal phase. ✅ Integrated approach: We connect gut health, hormones, stress, sleep, movement & mental health as one system. ✅ Expert practitioners: Who understand that your immunity is stronger during follicular phase and weaker during luteal. Because healthcare shouldn't require a PhD in female physiology. You shouldn't need to become your own research scientist. You shouldn't have to explain why you feel different week to week. Our approach treats hormonal fluctuations as valuable data, not inconveniences. Understanding your body's rhythms helps you make choices that support, not sabotage, your health. Health for women is not a luxury. It should be the standard. To every woman! What's been your biggest struggle with your health as a woman?

I am struck by the tragic passing of Cecile Richards & the all-too-eerie timing. I hear two conflicting voices in my head — one of fear & one of hope. My fear: a slow fizzle of the reproductive rights cause; an apathetic acceptance of our post-Dobbs reality in which some American women have choice & access and others do not. My hope: despite the obstacles facing women today, the time for catapulting women’s health forward is NOW. 𝗧𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗲: “𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 — 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.” As a pragmatic optimist, here are 5 women's health opportunities giving me hope. By seizing these, we can exponentially progress women’s healthcare and carry Cecile's legacy forward: 1. 𝗔 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: There is (finally!) recognition that women’s health is an absolutely massive market opportunity. For every $1 invested in women’s health, we can achieve $3 in economic growth. The economic weight of this transcends party lines & cannot be ignored! 2. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 “𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵”: To achieve this growth necessitates broadening our historical definition of “women’s health.” It requires investing both in areas that exclusively impact women (think: fertility, maternity, endometriosis) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 in diseases that disproportionately affect women relative to men (e.g. Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disorders, depression). Given the disproportionate disease burden women face, nearly every healthcare company should consider themselves in the business of “women’s health.” 3. 𝗕𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺: Despite the polarization of today, there are opportunities for alignment, exemplified by the bipartisan Advancing Menopause & Midlife Women’s Health Act. Let's get this passed! 4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗴𝗮𝗽: Yes, AI is poised to accelerate precision medicine, therapeutics & help close our healthcare worker shortage. But, our AI models will only be as good as the data they are trained on, which at this time, is predominately based on men. We can & must fix this by fully accounting for sex as a biological variable in all stages of research! 5. 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: when I started Tia, it was all too lonely. Today, there is a growing community of women founders building incredible companies transforming women’s lives in spite of the gender data gap, funding gap, legal barriers etc. Just a few I’m inspired by: Felicity Yost Jessica Horwitz, MSN FNP-C  Carine Carmy Gina Bartasi Anu Sharma Priyanka Jain Kaitlin Christine Kiki Freedman Kate Ryder Adrianne Nickerson Rachel Blank Joanna Strober Kathleen Jordan, MD Thank you Cecile, for showing us all what purpose-driven leadership against all odds looks like. We have our work cut out for us.

46.2% of adolescent girls in rural Ranchi still use cloth during menstruation, and 92.5% of them reuse it. 💡 Determined to find an affordable and sustainable solution to menstrual health challenges, I set out to develop an accessible, community-driven, and practical approach.  During my field visits, I met women who had never used a sanitary pad. One mother hesitated and said, "We don’t talk about such things here." These conversations reinforced the urgent need for awareness, access, and sustainable solutions.  To address this, I collaborated with Naveen Singh to develop and implement a community-driven menstrual health initiative:  1) Research & Fieldwork - Conducted secondary research on menstrual health gaps through reports, NGO studies, and policy analysis.   - Led interviews & focus group discussions with healthcare workers and rural women to understand stigma and affordability challenges.   - Engaged with Mr. Mangesh Jha, the ‘Padman of Jharkhand’, to explore grassroots solutions.  2) Developing the Sakhi Kit Model - Designed the Sakhi Kit, including a sanitary napkin, a contraceptive, and an educational pamphlet in the local language.   - Created culturally sensitive messaging to debunk myths and encourage open discussions.   - Sourced sanitary napkins and contraceptives from government healthcare centers at subsidized rates.  3) Implementation & Impact   - Distributed 1000+ sanitary napkins and 150+ contraceptives in a pilot village.   - Partnered with Srijan Foundation to host a Women’s Day awareness session at Karanji Panchayat Bhawan, Bedo, Ranchi.   - Explored kirana stores, beauty parlors, and tailor shops as alternate access points.   - Received positive feedback from rural healthcare workers on increased demand and engagement.  💡 Key Recommendations for Scaling the Initiative - Expand the Sakhi Kit model to multiple villages by leveraging local kirana stores, SHGs, beauty parlors, and tailor shops for accessibility as women are more likely to go here. - Collaborate with NRHM, JSLPS, Anganwadi Centers, and ASHA workers to integrate menstrual health awareness into their outreach programs. - Train women-led SHGs to distribute affordable, reusable menstrual products, creating both health impact and economic empowerment. This project has been an incredible learning experience. A special thank you to Professor Gaurav Marathe Sir for introducing the Social Impact Practicum course, where my peers and I worked on 240+ social issues, driving real change.  Menstrual health is not just about hygiene—it’s about dignity, empowerment, and breaking deep-rooted stigma.  #MenstrualHealth #SakhiKit #RuralEmpowerment #BreakingStigma #CommunityDrivenChange #Collaboration #IIMRanchi #Sustainability

“See My Pain” - marketing genius or a real mission? Catching up with the news before bed last night my ears pricked up when a new advert appeared on the screen. Nurofen’s “See My Pain” Nurofen’s advert features real life stories of women who have felt that their pain has been dismissed as part of the “gender pain gap”. This refers to women’s pain being more poorly understood and managed due to systemic gaps and biases. Nurofen’s website claims.. ➡️that 1 in 6 women experience severe pain every day ➡️ Women are in pain more often and more severely than men ➡️ 1 in 2 women feel they had their pain ignored or dismissed because of their gender. ➡️ As a result 41% report that their pain causes them trouble sleeping and 39% saying that it leaves them less able to exercise. ➡️ Almost a quarter of women report that pain has led them to feeling depressed compared to less than a fifth of men. Nurofen’s plans to reduce the pain gap include continuining to commission an annual report to make women’s pain visible. They have recently published their third report which highlights findings such as: ➡️ 35% of women felt pain dismissal delayed them seeking further medical help ➡️42% of women going through the menopause had related pain dismissed ➡️a third of women would like healthcare practitioners to have further training so gender bias does not impact on their clinical judgement. Nurofen are also.. ➡️ Pairing with key organisations such as RCGP and developing training tools. ➡️Working with Wellbeing of Women investigating levels of health literacy. ➡️ Their research has also included involvement of medical students across 6 universities. ➡️Patients can also access their “Pain Pass” tool online. In my opinion this is BOTH marketing genius but also vital work in the women’s health space. This campaign highlights an important question - “are we really listening to women when they talk about their pain?” Let’s stop minimising and start recognising. ➡️ Have you seen this ad? ➡️ Do you think campaigns like this truly shift the needle? ➡️What else needs to change in the way we assess and treat women’s pain? #SeeMyPain #GenderPainGap #WomensHealthMatters #PainEquity #FemTech #HealthEquity #InvisiblePain #PatientAdvocacy #BiasInMedicine #ListenToWomen #WomensVoices #MedicalBias #HealthLiteracy #MenopauseCare #RCGP #NurofenCampaign #WomenInHealth #DigitalHealth #PublicHealthCampaigns