For all the progress in women’s healthcare, the gaps remain stark and often invisible.

“Symptoms are misunderstood or dismissed altogether,” says Maha Gorton, Head of Women’s Pavilion, Expo City Dubai, pointing to conditions such as endometriosis, autism, and ADHD, where women routinely face delayed diagnoses. The issue is not only medical but systemic, spanning research funding, awareness, and access to credible information.

That reality prompted the launch of Her Health Majlis, a new initiative under FemTech Hub. Its goal is to create a space where women’s health conversations are accessible, culturally relevant, and, crucially, stigma-free.

While FemTech Hub focuses on advancing health innovation, Her Health Majlis is designed to bring those ideas into an everyday context. The series translates technical breakthroughs into community conversations, blending expert insight with lived experience to make complex topics more understandable and actionable.

It sits within a broader ecosystem that includes startup networks, policy-driven summits, and a student-focused hackathon. Together, these initiatives aim to address women’s health from multiple angles, spanning research, innovation, and public engagement.

The approach is intentional, rooted in the traditional majlis format of open dialogue.

“There’s been a lack of safe, credible spaces for women to talk about their health,” Gorton says. “We wanted to change that.”

WHY ACCESS MATTERS

Unlike many health forums, Her Health Majlis is free and open to all. The decision reflects a core belief that access to health knowledge should not be a privilege.

Inclusivity is treated not just as a value, but as a strategy. By bringing together women across ages, backgrounds, and experiences, the initiative surfaces both shared challenges and those specific to different communities.

That breadth of perspective becomes especially important when addressing sensitive topics such as fertility and mental health. Stigma-free education, in practice, goes beyond open access. Sessions are structured to be non-judgmental, use clear language, and encourage participation through both live discussion and anonymous input. The intent is straightforward: ensure no question feels off-limits and no symptom is dismissed.

This approach shaped the series’ first session, focused on endometriosis and the so-called gender pain gap, a persistent example of how women’s pain is often minimized or misdiagnosed. Despite affecting one in 10 women globally, endometriosis remains widely misunderstood. For Gorton, beginning with this condition was deliberate.

“We need to move toward a world where a woman’s lived experience is treated as critical evidence,” she says.

RETHINKING THE WORKPLACE

The conversations extend beyond clinics and into corporate culture. A recent session, aligned with Autism Awareness Month, examined how neurodiversity, particularly in women, manifests differently in workplace settings.

The takeaway: inclusion is not only ethical but also strategic.

Neurodiverse individuals often bring distinct problem-solving abilities and perspectives. However, unlocking that potential requires employers to rethink rigid structures, adopt more flexible environments, and train managers to recognize diverse cognitive styles.

The aim is for these discussions to translate into tangible workplace change, making it easier for employees to disclose conditions and contribute fully.

Beyond dialogue, FemTech Hub is also investing in solutions, starting early. Its annual hackathon brings together students aged 16 to 18, an unusual move in the innovation space, but one that reflects a deliberate intent.

By engaging young people, both male and female, the program seeks to break stigma before it becomes entrenched. Participants are encouraged to develop tech-driven solutions grounded in real research and human needs.

The outcomes, she says, have been striking. Past projects have included a biosensor patch that tracks hormonal changes during menopause, an AI-powered wearable for monitoring fetal health, and a skincare assistant that adapts to hormonal cycles. Each reflects a shift toward more personalized, preventive care.

More importantly, it will place greater emphasis on what happens after the competition, connecting winners with investors, incubators, and clearer pathways to market.

For Gorton, that long-term approach is critical. “Addressing systemic healthcare gaps is a long-term journey,” she says. “We are creating a space where we can listen and lead, while building momentum for real change.”