Economic and societal repercussions of restricted women's health and sexuality in the Middle East
Women in the Middle East face numerous challenges when it comes to learning about and discussing their health and sexuality. These challenges often include cultural taboos surrounding these topics, limited access to comprehensive sex education, societal expectations regarding modesty and purity, restrictive gender norms, lack of privacy in healthcare settings, and legal barriers that may hinder women's autonomy and decision-making regarding their bodies and health. These factors collectively contribute to a pervasive atmosphere of silence and stigma around women's health and sexuality, making it difficult for women to seek information, access healthcare services, and advocate for their own reproductive rights and sexual well-being.
There are 105 million women of Child-bearing age in the MENA, 12 million of which are in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Lebanon. Limited access to comprehensive sex education and healthcare services can lead to higher rates of unplanned pregnancies, maternal mortality, and sexually transmitted infections, resulting in increased healthcare costs for individuals and governments. Moreover, societal taboos and restrictions on women's autonomy may hinder their participation in the workforce, limiting their economic potential and exacerbating gender disparities in employment and income.
NAWAT’s Solution
NAWAT Health aims to break the taboo surrounding women’s sexuality in the MENA region. Their digital platform aims to empower every woman to care for her wellbeing through access to holistic, high quality, sexual and reproductive health care education and services. NAWAT Health accomplishes this by offering women access to comprehensive, evidence-based educational courses in Arabic, coupled with one-on-one telehealth consultations with trusted professionals.
How Femovate Helps
NAWAT Health was awarded sponsorship through Guidea’s Femovate program for ‘23-’24.
As part of the Femovate sponsorship, researchers and designers at Guidea worked closely with the NAWAT team to design the digital experience, and trained the team in MENA to conduct research locally with prospective customers.
For more information about Nawat, visit https://nawathealth.com/ and follow them on LinkedIn
For more information on Femovate visit www.femovate.com and follow us on LinkedIn
For interviews please contact Theresa Neil
