The pandemic exploded the use of healthcare technologies. Now, artificial intelligence is further transforming healthcare. Despite significant advancements, women in the Middle East continue to grapple with a stark healthcare disparity—from underfunded research to limited access to essential services.

Women frequently experience delayed diagnoses and treatment, a problem exacerbated by their exclusion from clinical trials and a healthcare landscape where their specific needs are often overlooked.

Addressing these inequities isn’t just a healthcare necessity—it’s an economic imperative. With greater investment, closing the gender health gap could add $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040. However, achieving this requires a collaborative effort from policymakers, healthcare providers, and innovators to ensure women in the region receive the care they need and deserve.

FUNDING CHALLENGES

While the femtech industry booms, projected to reach $3.8 billion in the UAE alone by 2031, a critical funding gap persists for women-led startups, especially those focused on women’s health, in the MENA region.

According to Public Health Specialist Yasmin Mitwally, women’s health has been severely underfunded and deprioritized in the region for far too long.

She notes that approximately four women go undiagnosed for every woman diagnosed with a women’s health-related condition. Furthermore, globally, only 1% of healthcare research and innovation funding is allocated to female-specific conditions beyond oncology.

“Historically, healthcare systems have defaulted to men as the standard, largely due to decades of excluding women from clinical trials over safety concerns, particularly for pregnant women,” Mitwally says. “This exclusion has created significant gaps in research, diagnosis, and treatment, resulting in women facing delayed diagnoses – on average, four years longer than men.”

“This underinvestment has real consequences, not only for women’s health outcomes but also for innovation,” Mitwally says, referencing a recent study that found biotech inventions led by female researchers were up to 35% more likely to result in solutions that directly benefit women.

Nesma Amin, Co-Founder and CEO of Aziza, a femtech platform, notes that many investors overlook women’s health as a priority.

“A lot of that comes down to how women’s health is perceived—not just in the Middle East, but globally,” Amin explains. “It’s often boxed into “niche” healthcare, even though it affects half the population.”

Amin notes that many femtech startups are founded by women, exacerbating the funding challenge. “Women, particularly in health tech, receive only a fraction of venture capital compared to their male counterparts.”

In terms of funding sources, Amin observes a mixed landscape. “You’ve got VCs that are starting to show interest, especially those focusing on impact-driven businesses, but the majority still look for fast-scaling sectors, and women’s health doesn’t always fit these typical growth metrics.”

Grants from NGOs, accelerators, and government programs are available but insufficient to bridge the funding gap.

Raghda Rashad, a Public Health Lecturer and Founder of femtech startup Nawara Health, notes that funding for women’s health in the Middle East remains disproportionately focused on maternity and fertility.

“While international organizations and NGOs provide funding, much of it is directed towards issues that align with global priorities—such as female genital mutilation (FGM), gender-based violence (GBV), and adolescent marriage—rather than the broader spectrum of women’s health needs.”

She further highlights that government healthcare budgets often prioritize general concerns over gender-specific health issues. Universities also lack funding for women’s health research, and the private sector plays a limited role, with few incentives to invest in preventative care and women’s occupational health.

“Even health tech and femtech startups, while promising, often struggle to integrate research due to market constraints, leading to their solutions being perceived as non-essential rather than transformative.”

UNMET NEEDS

Due to women’s healthcare in the Middle East often overlooking broader health challenges beyond reproductive issues, conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and contraception remain underfunded, as do sexual health services, explains Rashad.

“Menstrual health is rarely recognized as a public health issue, despite its impact on quality of life, productivity, and long-term health outcomes.”

Preventive healthcare is another neglected area,  with inadequate investment in health literacy initiatives. Chronic diseases, including autoimmune disorders and menstrual disorders, are frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late due to gender biases in healthcare.

Additionally, occupational health for women and maternal healthcare are neglected areas, with issues such as high cesarean section rates, inadequate maternity care, and insufficient peripartum mental health support.

“Gender-based disparities in healthcare manifest in multiple ways, including the gender pain gap, dismissive attitudes towards women’s symptoms, and delayed diagnosis of serious conditions,” Rashad emphasizes. “These gaps highlight the urgent need for a broader, more holistic approach to women’s health funding and policy.”

Amin particularly highlights how comprehensive sexual and reproductive health remains a taboo topic, resulting in inadequate education, accessible services, and investment. “People think women’s health is just maternal care, but there’s so much more – menstrual health, endocrine disorders, fertility support, menopause, and even access to basic gynecological care.”

Mental health is another vastly underfunded area, deeply connected to women’s health. Conditions like postpartum depression, hormonal mood disorders, and the mental load of caregiving barely receive the attention they require.

A recent World Economic Forum report states that, on average, a woman will spend nine years in debilitating health. These years significantly impact her ability to participate fully in her home, workplace, and community, ultimately limiting her economic potential. Despite this, many conditions that disproportionately or uniquely affect women remain underfunded and poorly understood.

“For instance, cardiovascular disease has long been considered a ‘man’s disease,’ yet women are seven times more likely than men to have a heart condition misdiagnosed or to be discharged during a heart attack,” Mitwally says. Similarly, conditions like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and autoimmune disorders, which affect women disproportionately – with women accounting for around 80% of autoimmune disease cases – often take years to diagnose, leaving women to suffer in silence.

“These are areas where increased funding and targeted innovation could profoundly improve the quality of life for millions of women across the region,” Mitwally adds.

PRIMARY BARRIERS

Amin maintains that the biggest barrier to women’s health funding is mindset, with many investors not seeing the sector as an exciting, high-growth sector, despite women’s health being focused on long-term impact, user retention, and building trust.

“Then there’s the cultural side. In many places, discussing topics like menstruation, contraception, or menopause is still uncomfortable. This makes it harder for startups to market their solutions, and if you can’t openly discuss a problem, it’s even harder to secure funding for it,” notes Amin.

Another challenge lies in acknowledging the realities of healthcare access in the region. Amin cites Egypt’s healthcare sector as an example, where women navigate a complex healthcare system – some rely on public clinics with limited resources, others on private healthcare, and many in rural areas have little to no access to specialized services.

“Femtech solutions need to be designed with these realities in mind, ensuring they are accessible, localized, and truly meet the needs of the women they’re built for,” Amin explains. “Investment should focus on solutions that bridge these gaps, rather than replicating models that worked elsewhere.”

On the other hand, Rashad highlights the policy issues affecting women’s health, noting that many policymakers and healthcare leaders are unaware that women often require different diagnostic and treatment approaches than men. This knowledge gap leads to a “wait-and-see” approach, with the region often waiting for Western research findings before updating its healthcare guidelines.

“Regulatory and policy gaps further exacerbate the issue, as many health policies fail to integrate a gendered approach to disease prevention and treatment. The absence of strong electronic health records also hinders research efforts, making it difficult to track trends and advocate for targeted interventions.”

From an economic perspective, the lack of investment in human sciences research at universities means that available funding often overlooks critical women’s health areas. Despite its potential, the private sector lacks incentives to invest in women’s health, with corporate social responsibility initiatives rarely focusing on this area.

Many health tech and femtech startups adopt a conventional healthcare approach, adding technology without prioritizing research, making it challenging to demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of their solutions. “Women’s health solutions are often viewed as luxuries rather than necessities, further limiting investment and policy support.”

THE GOVERNMENT’S ROLE

Recognizing the urgent need for reform, governments in the region have already begun implementing targeted initiatives, such as the UAE’s National Policy for the Promotion of Women’s Health and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which includes key healthcare reforms, such as free breast cancer screening for women over 40.

With investment in women’s health projected to add $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040, bridging the gap will require collaboration between policymakers, healthcare providers, and innovators. While progress is underway, addressing deep-rooted disparities remains a critical challenge for the region.

Rashad emphasizes the need for strategic action from governments, NGOs, and the private sector to ensure sustainable financing for women’s health.

“Governments should integrate a gender-specific approach into healthcare policies, ensuring funding is directed toward underrepresented areas such as menstrual health, chronic disease prevention, and occupational health,” she states.

Rashad explains that raising awareness of the economic benefits of investing in women’s health is key to driving policy changes and private sector engagement. Financial incentives like tax benefits and grants could encourage investment, while dedicated regional funding bodies would help close research gaps.

NGOs should advocate for balanced funding across all areas of women’s health, not just those prioritized globally. Long-term studies on peripartum interventions and well-funded digital health solutions could improve accessibility.

Mitwally emphasizes the need for a multi-stakeholder approach, which includes dedicated funding for women’s health research and innovation.

This can be achieved through commitments to allocate resources specifically for health conditions that disproportionately or uniquely affect women. Strengthening gender-specific health data collection is also crucial for identifying gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and care.

“Empowering female scientists and healthcare leaders by increasing women’s representation in research and healthcare leadership will ensure that the unique challenges of women’s health are recognized and prioritized,” Mitwally adds.