Women's healthcare is under attack. Here's how to fight back through pioneering feminist design

"Like almost every industry, design has historically been shaped by patriarchal structures. With everything from smart phones to crash test dummies based on the requirements of the average male, women have been neglected by normative design. The Women in Global Health report found that during the pandemic only 14% of female healthcare workers had properly fitted PPE. The industry continues to be male dominated; A survey by the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) in 2019 showed that women make up 61% of the design"

"Feminist design taps into women's and under-represented group's needs in order to create tools, services, and environments that combat systemic oppression. Propelled by the inequalities that surfaced over the COVID-19 pandemic, the current feminist movement is more intersectional and self-critical, shifting focus from the individual to large-scale change making. Feminist design champions equity for all."

"Feminist design goes beyond adapting things to make them more accessible or friendly to women and girls. The goal with this approach is to make transformational change by questioning design as an entire system, by considering the systemic biases embedded in the design processes and asking ourselves what might be possible if these are challenged."

Women's healthcare faces attacks across the U.S., including denial of reproductive care and cuts to research funding for diseases affecting women. Healthcare providers and brands that influence women's daily lives need to transform health services and spaces using feminist design. Feminist design centers women’s and under-represented groups’ needs to create tools, services, and environments that combat systemic oppression and advance equity. The movement has become more intersectional and focuses on large-scale change rather than only individual solutions. Feminist design seeks transformational change by questioning systemic biases embedded in design processes. Healthcare design currently reflects patriarchal structures that neglect women’s needs and leadership.

Read at Fast Company