When was the last time a woman traveled to the restroom while proudly waving a tampon or pad in the air? Why do feminine hygiene commercials focus on active or happy women frolicking in skirts? Probably because of the incredibly potent stigma surrounding menstruation and products created for it.
Women are still asked if they’re on their period if they’re visibly upset, but for some reason, talking publicly about menstruation or feminine hygiene products is still taboo. For Ida Tin, founder of the period-tracking app Clue, this is especially true.
A recent piece from The New Yorker addresses Tin’s struggle to find investors for her now incredibly popular period phone app. She struck out with investor after investor who claimed to not be interested in her concept. It’s no coincidence that practically every early-stage investor she pitched to was a man. The struggle for products made specifically for women, specifically for periods, to gain funding is incredibly exhausting.
The reason that menstruation products don’t receive funding from venture capitalists is because venture capitalists typically aren’t women. Only seven percent of active investment partners within the top 100 venture capital firms in the world are women. These boards are made up of adult men who don’t sympathize or understand the need for certain feminine products. Are they going to understand the ingenuity behind a “smart” tampon that can test for warning signs of cancer or reproductive diseases? Probably not, because they’re too suck on the word “tampon.” In an industry dominated by men, it will naturally be a lot harder to find investors willing to put money toward these products. But part of an investor’s job should be to invest in new and innovative areas that might be a risk but have the chance of an incredible payoff. There are great companies and products that aren’t getting the opportunity to grow or even launch because a group of men in suits hiding behind a table don’t feel comfortable thinking about periods.
Yes, it’s practical and typically smart to choose your investments based on what you know. This could apply to any product. Investors who have a history with food products will be less likely to invest in a beauty product. There’s a niche investor for every industry. However, since there are so few female venture capitalists, there is an entire market that isn’t being tapped into. Men are not able to understand or connect to products made for feminine hygiene. But that shouldn’t stop them from investing.
Studies have shown that men are less altruistic and empathetic than women. Women are more likely to be volunteers and philanthropic. This prompts the question: if there was a male equivalent to menstruation products, would women also sway from contributing to them? It’s hard to say, but it’s not hard to assume that it would be less likely than the current situation.
All men have women in their lives, whether it be a mother, wife, friend, sister or daughter. So, why does the stigma surrounding menstruation and feminine hygiene still exist? By now, it should’ve become normalized. The stigma certainly discourages investors, as well as researchers and advertisers from talking about menstruation. Young girls are told to conceal their tampons and show discretion when telling anyone when they’re on their period. The stigma still exists because having a period is seen as private and embarrassing.
So how do we put an end to the taboo? Addressing the problem early before it even has time to develop helps. Young children should be taught sexual education together, so boys and girls can learn about how puberty affects the other sex. This conversation should continue through childhood education, because how can we expect men to understand this topic when they’ve never been fully informed? In the past, women weren’t encouraged or given the option to become investors or other male-dominated professions. But as time goes on, more women will get there. We’re ready for our generation of powerful, passionate women to take the helm.
