The Equalizer Challenge: Scaling Women’s Health Innovations
UNFPA Innovation Challenge
Women make up half the world’s population, yet sexual and reproductive health, maternal care and other health needs specific to women are critically underfunded and underdeveloped.
“Every minute, at least two women die globally from breast or cervical cancer or pregnancy-related complications due to inequitable access to healthcare,” says Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. This stark reality underscores the urgent need for scalable, high-impact health solutions that reach underserved communities and close the health gap for women worldwide.
Every day, nearly 800 women die due to preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth1. Around half a million women die from cervical cancer and half a million from breast cancer each year, according to the World Health Organization, with the vast majority of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries where screening, prevention and treatment are almost non-existent.2
Despite the severity of these issues, only 1 per cent of global healthcare research and innovation funding addresses female-specific conditions beyond oncology. Even more alarming, only 0.2 per cent of research and development funding focuses on sexual and reproductive health in developing countries, despite its critical role in determining lifelong well-being3. Gender biases persist in technology and healthcare design, reinforcing the need for inclusive, impactful solutions.
We need more innovations to close the gap.
To that end, UNFPA, in collaboration with MIT Solve, IE University and Women of Wearables, is launching The Equalizer Challenge: Scaling Women’s Health Innovations – an innovation challenge designed to provide catalytic, equity-free funding while empowering innovators to amplify their impact and scale up transformative solutions for women’s health. The Equalizer Challenge is enabled by the generous support from the Governments of Germany and Luxembourg to the UNFPA Equalizer Accelerator Fund.
The mission is clear: Women and girls need innovative solutions that are promising, scalable and accessible and that drive real, lasting impact. Whether through medical devices, digital health platforms, personalized medicine or breakthrough solutions to health conditions unique to women, this challenge seeks bold, women-led innovations that don’t just push boundaries, but also break through them, reshaping the future of care.
The challenge provides catalytic funding alongside a six-month capacity development programme, featuring biweekly coaching, expert mentorship and direct connections to global health and investment networks. This ensures that selected innovators move beyond the pilot stage and achieve meaningful, scalable impact.
We respect your intellectual property rights. These rights remain fully with the innovators throughout and after the innovation challenge is completed.
Why is this challenge unique?
- Wide-ranging resources: UNFPA’s support extends beyond equity-free funding, providing innovators with the resources to enter new markets and refine their impact models.
- Inclusive of all models: Impactful health solutions take many forms; social enterprises, non-profits, hybrid models and for-profits featuring a sustainable business model are all welcome.
- Full intellectual property ownership: Startups retain full rights to their innovations.
- Women’s health at the core: As the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA brings unparalleled expertise and global reach to support innovators in their journey.
- Beyond buzzwords: This challenge supports high-impact innovations that enhance the health of women and girls.
1United Nations Population Fund (2023). Start with her: UNFPA strategy for reproductive, maternal and newborn health and well-being (2023–2025).
2World Health Organization (7 March 2023). Ten top issues for women’s health.
3McKinsey & Company (8 March 2022). Closing the data gaps in women’s health.
