The aim of the event was to highlight the urgent, often-overlooked need for research, innovation, and funding in women’s health. TechTruster Femtech News was there to capture the day’s key messages and insights.
Personal stories that set the stage
The event opened with Louise Dreisig sharing her journey with endometriosis — a condition where tissue similar to the uterus lining grows outside of it. Often misunderstood, endometriosis causes chronic pain, fertility issues, and disrupts everyday life.
Dreisig’s personal account underscored the event’s central message: the need for deeper attention and gender equality in healthcare.
(Read our deep dive on diagnosing endometriosis here.)
Political perspectives on women’s health
Christina Egelund, Minister of Research, presented a forward-looking political vision, emphasizing equality in healthcare access and research.
She highlighted that Denmark is actively taking steps towards improving research equality, specifically by increasing women’s participation in clinical trials – an area historically dominated by male subjects.
Egelund stressed that this inclusion is critical, underlining the urgent need for continued political action and prioritization to properly address women’s unique health needs and ensure fair representation in medical research.
The Alliance for Women’s Health followed with a striking statistic: women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men. They introduced a proposal for a Knowledge Center for Women’s Health, built on three pillars:
- A holistic approach to women’s health advancement
- Mapping priority research areas
- Guiding national healthcare priorities
Calling it a “fællessag” (common cause), not a party-specific agenda, the Alliance urged long-term political commitment. Politicians across parties echoed their support for this cross-sector effort.The Alliance has been formed including Monika Rubin (Moderates), MP and health spokesperson, Camilla Fabricius (Social Democrats), MP and spokesperson for women’s health, Marianne Lynghøj (Venstre), alternate MP, and Anne Sophie Callesen (Radikale Venstre), former MP.
They emphasized that this alliance belongs not to any single party, but to everyone committed to women’s health. The Alliance aims to promote investments in research and innovation in women’s health, break down existing taboos, and improve healthcare conditions for women.
One significant goal is securing funding through the national budget for establishing a national knowledge center, and fostering partnerships with companies and foundations to advance projects promoting women’s health.
Funding the future of women’s health
Isabella France Jarsmer, a PhD student in Biomedicine, posed a critical question: Why is women’s health research still underfunded? Using vivid imagery, including her own menstrual blood as a presentation backdrop, Jarsmer addressed societal taboos and outdated scientific norms.
She highlighted how research excludes female lab mice (80% are male), and how even within academia, women face structural challenges. She advocated for extending PhD timelines to accommodate caregiving responsibilities and complex women’s health studies.
Jarsmer took the audience on a historical journey, highlighting the potential hidden within menstrual blood and drawing parallels with the medieval witch hunts, illustrating society’s persistent discomfort and taboo surrounding menstruation.
She pointed out the paradox that even researchers who study feces are reluctant to work with menstrual blood though the potentials it hides on. Sharing her personal experience being a carrier of BRCA gene, Jarsmer described its profound impact on her life and detailed the systemic challenges women face in healthcare.
She recalled the tragic consequences of prescribing anti-nausea medication to pregnant women in the 1970s, resulting in children born with deformities, resulting in historical neglect in women’s healthcare research due to intentions to “protect” women from complications in future (you can read more about it here: Why we know so little about women’s health | AAMC).
Panel: Ensuring equal access to research
A panel with Isabella France Jarsmer, David Westergaard, Birgitte Baadegaard, and Lasse Gliemann explored how to build more inclusive research environments. Baadegaard emphasized the need to rethink healthcare systems so they are not built on male norms.
Gliemann and Westergaard highlighted the significant difficulties researchers face when applying for funding focused on female-specific conditions. They called for reforms to ensure easier and equal access to funding, promoting unbiased and inclusive research opportunities in women’s health comparable to other areas.
Roccamore’s commitment to women’s health
After a networking break, Roccamore founder Frederikke Antonie Schmidt shared how her own misdiagnosis — resulting in lifelong medication for a condition she doesn’t have — drives her passion for supporting women’s health. Roccamore’s partnership with the Alliance is rooted in a clear mission: to drive awareness and change.
Investing in women’s health innovation
Charlotte Nørgaard Langer, Director of the Nordic Women’s Health Hub, brought the conversation into the innovation and investment space. Citing McKinsey’s report on the trillion-dollar opportunity in women’s health, she argued that Denmark could see a $4.5 billion annual GDP boost by closing the gender health gap. Drawing on her extensive experience working exclusively with women’s health, she elaborated on opportunities from both investment and innovation perspectives.
She proposed four action areas:
- Entrepreneur support (soft funding, mentorship, accelerators)
- Investor education to overcome bias
- Translating research into innovation (BioInnovation Institute as model)
- Building a national women’s health innovation ecosystem
(Learn more about the Nordic Women’s Health Hub on TechTruster.)
including Anda-Maria Mihu, Julia Persson, Jeanette Kæseler and Kicki Bajlum.
Menopause, work, and the cost of silence
Sanne Gottlieb, founder of Menokonsult, spoke about menopause as a workplace issue, not just a health one. With nearly half of women hiding the real reason for sick days, and only 3% speaking to managers about symptoms, Gottlieb warned of poor business practices and lost talent.
Gottlieb stressed the importance of recognizing how these symptoms profoundly impact women’s work capabilities and productivity. Ignoring or overlooking them, she argued, becomes poor business practice for employers. She presented a striking study showing that 47% of women currently lie about their reasons for absence, while only 3% disclose their menopausal symptoms to their managers. This data highlights a critical need for workplaces to foster understanding and provide supportive environments addressing women’s health issues effectively.
You can read more about menopause and workplace here: Structural workplace changes to factor in menopause challenges – TechTruster. To learn more about platforms, tech and apps for supporting symptoms, and treatment, read: Perimenopause tech: More solutions for women’s health in mid-life – TechTruster.
Panel: Women’s health and workplace inclusion
The final panel featured Camilla Winther, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Manager (Global D&I Learning Lead) at the LEGO Group, influencer Matilde Trobeck, Cathrine Widunok Wichmand, influencer, founder and CEO of Flow Intimates and Christian Sand Horup, Business Development Manager at Maternity Foundation.
They shared concrete workplace strategies and emotional stories on infertility, healthcare barriers, and the importance of breaking taboos so women no longer feel isolated or ignored. They strongly encouraged healthcare systems to better support women proactively, without forcing them to loudly advocate for their symptoms and become exhausted before receiving help.
Closing remarks and artistic reflections
Louise Dreisig returned to wrap up the event, emphasizing the need for continued, cross-sector dialogue. Artist Marianne Pihl Larsen, “the woman who is drawing,” live-sketched the day’s themes into a single visual narrative — a powerful reminder of the work still ahead.