Reflecting on Women's Month 2024: Meet the Companies Closing the Gender Health Gap in Hong Kong with LUÜNA

If you've been following us on social media throughout March, you'll have noticed our contemplation of Women's Month. While we've emphasized the importance of uplifting women, we've also expressed concerns that the essence of Women's Month might be getting lost, resulting in missed opportunities and a growing sense of 'gender fatigue.'

Front of mind has been the UN Women's alarming prediction: at the current pace, achieving gender equality will take 286 years. So this year we urged companies to join us, not just to "inspire inclusion" (as per the theme proposed by the anonymous website www.internationalwomensday.com), but to embrace the call-to-action set forth by UN Women: "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress."

Our Focus on the ‘Gender Health Gap’

We upheld the UN women call-to-action by spotlighting 'the gender health gap,' drawing from insights in the McKinsey Health Report 2024, which emphasizes the economic and social advantages of investing in women's health, both in and outside of the workplace.

We conducted workshops, as part of our popular Talk For Good event series, to enlighten employees of all genders about the gender health gap, focusing on menstrual equity but also the wider social and environmental repercussions of not closing this gap.

During these workshops, we conducted surveys that provided eye-opening insights. One standout statistic is that "89% of colleagues feel sympathetic but unsure how to support menstrual health issues—time for clear guidance and policies." This feedback is a powerful call to action, emphasizing the need for workplaces to adopt comprehensive policies and educational programs to support menstrual health. It's not just about sympathy; it's about providing tangible support and understanding.

(Barclays Hong Kong, IWD Event)

Empowering Partnerships for the Workplace

This month, we had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed partners in corporate workplaces, including Barclays, Cathay Pacific, Weil, and Qeelin, as well as schools and our first hospital, Matilda International Hospital.

"This was an informative session that covered important topics... I feel more confident about menstruation, a healthy and natural part of women's health." - Attendee from our workshop at Barclays, Hong Kong

Our initiatives have been met with enthusiasm and gratitude, with Debbie Tong from Matilda International Hospital noting, "Providing free LUÜNA menstrual products... promotes equity and encourages open discussions."

This sentiment was echoed by Jonathan Ly at Qeelin, where we launched programs to address the gender health gap, highlighting the significant role of male allies in this journey.

(Debbie Tong, Matilda International Hospital)

Community Action to Uplift Underserved Women and Girls

Ensuring that the impact of our efforts within the corporate workplace extends to benefit our broader community, every Women’s Month partnership has helped provide reusable menstrual cups and educational sessions on menstrual health for underserved women in Hong Kong through our LUÜNA For All programs, this time in collaboration with our esteemed charity partner, Exchange and Empower. This educational initiative and distribution drive are scheduled to coincide with Earth Day on April 21st.

Sign up to our monthly community newsletter to receive updates about this charity collaboration here.

Learn more about our LUÜNA For Work services here and let’s work towards closing the gender health gap in the workplace.