Empowering Women Through Technology, Finland & UNICEF Launch Fem Tech Fund
New Delhi: In a bid to promote technological innovations that improve the health, wellness, and socio-economic participation of women and girls, Finland and UNICEF have launched a global investment opportunity for fem tech solutions.
The initiative, launched by the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi and UNICEF, aims to support early-stage tech startups developing open-source solutions using cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain.
As per report, one in five young women were married before 18 as of 2023, while one in three girls aged 15-19 in 31 countries have undergone genital mutilation. Cervical cancer claims a woman’s life every two minutes, despite being the most preventable form of cancer. Furthermore, 31% of women worldwide lack access to education, training, or employment, with a staggering 45.5% gap in Central Asia and Southern Asia. Additionally, approximately 740 million women in developing economies remain unbanked, accounting for over 55% of the total unbanked adult population in these regions.
According to Kimmo Lähdevirta, Ambassador of Finland to India, “Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and half of its potential. Investing in fem tech solutions is key to unlocking their socio-economic potential.”
The UNICEF Venture Fund will provide grant funding and one year of mentoring to selected startups.
This initiative addresses the significant disparities faced by women and girls worldwide, including early marriage, genital mutilation, cervical cancer, and limited access to education, training, and employment.
“The use of technology like AI and blockchain for social impact has the potential of changing lives at scale and closing the gap for girls and women who are still too often left behind or excluded from innovation and research,” said Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative, India.
The UNICEF Venture Fund has a decade-long track record of investing in breakthrough technologies in developing economies. With the support of partners like the Government of Finland, the Ethereum Foundation, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and GSR Foundation, the Fund aims to double its impact by 2030.
The initiative is part of the UNICEF Venture Fund’s fem tech initiative (2025-2030), which seeks to invest in solutions designed with and for women and girls, addressing disparities shaped by sex, gender, and social determinants.
