Despite making up half of the global population, women’s health remains alarmingly underfunded and neglected, particularly when it comes to sexual and reproductive care, maternal health, and other health concerns unique to women.

These gaps have dire consequences, especially for women in low-income countries who face significant challenges in accessing essential healthcare.

The Stark Reality of Women’s Health Inequity

Every minute, two women around the world lose their lives to preventable causes like breast and cervical cancer or pregnancy-related complications.

As Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, points out, inequitable access to healthcare is at the heart of this issue.

“This is a clear reminder of the urgent need for scalable, high-impact health solutions that can reach underserved communities and bridge the health gap for women globally.”

The statistics are disturbing. Nearly 800 women die daily due to preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related causes.

The World Health Organization reports that around 500,000 women lose their lives to cervical cancer, and another 500,000 die from breast cancer each year.

The majority of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income nations where basic services like screening, prevention, and treatment are barely available.

Lack of Funding for Women’s Health Issues

Despite the urgency, only 1% of global healthcare research funding addresses health conditions unique to women, excluding oncology.

Even more worrying, a mere 0.2% of funding goes toward sexual and reproductive health in developing countries—an area critical to women’s long-term well-being.

Gender biases still dominate healthcare technology and design, emphasizing the need for inclusive, impactful solutions that prioritize women’s health.

The Push for More Innovations in Women’s Health

There is a pressing need for more innovations to close the health gap for women.

That’s where initiatives like the Equalizer Challenge come into play.

UNFPA, in collaboration with MIT Solve, IE University, and Women of Wearables, is launching this challenge to provide catalytic, equity-free funding to innovators working on scalable solutions for women’s health.

The challenge is supported by the governments of Germany and Luxembourg, who have contributed to the UNFPA Equalizer Accelerator Fund.

The Goals of the Equalizer Challenge

The Equalizer Challenge has specific objectives that aim to empower women in health innovation:

Support Scalable Innovations: The challenge will identify and back women-led health innovations that can be scaled up to reach more people.
Empower Women Entrepreneurs: It aims to empower women-led enterprises that focus on critical women’s health issues.
Strengthen the Innovation Ecosystem: By providing mentorship and capacity-building, the challenge will help enhance the women’s health innovation ecosystem.
Advance Gender Equity: The challenge will promote gender equity in technology and innovation by increasing access to funding and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

What Makes a Solution Scalable?

When we talk about scaling a solution, we mean expanding its reach to help more people, whether across regions or by serving larger populations.

Scalable solutions are those that can be expanded efficiently while maintaining their effectiveness and sustainability.

This is particularly important for areas like cervical cancer screening, breast cancer detection, menopause care, and infertility treatment—areas where scalable solutions could make a world of difference.

Eligibility for the Equalizer Challenge

Women-led enterprises, including startups, social enterprises, non-profits, and hybrid organizations, that are addressing women’s health needs with scalable innovations are eligible to apply.

Applicants must be registered and operating in UNFPA programme countries, and their projects should have a clear path to scale, either through markets or the public sector. Additionally, applicants need to:

Have a minimum viable product (MVP) and proof of ownership.
Submit applications in English, with team members proficient in the language.
Commit to participating in the virtual innovation cohort from May to December 2025.

Evaluation Criteria for the Challenge

Applications will undergo two rounds of review: an initial screening by the UNFPA team followed by interviews with an expert panel. The criteria for selection include:

Alignment with the Challenge’s Focus: The innovation should address health conditions specific to women.
Innovation: A novel approach or unique application of an existing solution.
Impact Potential: The solution must demonstrate proven effectiveness in improving health outcomes.
Sustainable Business Model: Applicants should present a feasible, cost-effective model.
Scalability: The innovation should have a clear plan for expansion.
Inclusive Design: Solutions should be designed with input from women, particularly in underserved communities.

Timeline and Funding for the Equalizer Challenge

Call for Submissions: April 9 to May 4, 2025
Winners Announcement: June 2025
Innovation Support Programme: June to November 2025
Funding: Up to $20,000 per winner
Post-Challenge Support: Winners will receive ongoing mentorship, networking opportunities, and exposure to global health innovation forums.

The Equalizer Challenge offers a unique opportunity to help scale transformative women’s health innovations, ensuring that more women worldwide can access life-saving healthcare solutions.

Apply Today

Don’t miss your chance to contribute to the future of women’s health.

Submit your application by May 4, 2025, and join the movement toward equitable healthcare solutions for women everywhere.