As women we know our menstrual cycle brings and marks different emotional and vital states. Some women can find themselves in the stereotypical irritable or extremely sad state in the premenstrual phase, others not, but most women notice some changes in relation to their cycle.
Have you ever heard about FemTech? It is short for female technology. It refers to technological start-ups founded by women and that are usually focused on women’s health. This sector includes fertility apps, women’s sexual wellness solutions and period-tracking apps, among other services.
I still remember the day one of my friends secretly asked me “Hey, do you know about ‘periods’?” I was confused and I answered “No… what’s that?” She just smiled at me and tried to explain and all our group of girls gathered to listen to her. Everyone was a bit uncomfortable, but curious, about this menstruation process. A few of them had just entered this beautiful phase of life and a few, like me, were about to begin it.
Uncertainty is what life is made of and what humans want to tame and control. A good part of our lives is dedicated to securing a living, a home, a family life and a trust-worthy companion. Women often assume the role of straightening the curves and levelling the bumps in the road, to smooth and steady daily life.
The Ancients call menopause the ‘Age of the Crone’. At first I was disgruntled and rattled by the invisibility I almost overnight acquired. How, with a slight widening of girth, and blossoming of bosom, with the silvering of my hair, I quite simply became nothing. This soon became endemic in my mind and I felt ‘invisible’ just walking outside anywhere.