A Barcelona-based lecturer has launched the first menopause app for Spanish-speaking women.
Talia Leibovitz, a course instructor at the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, has created Kala after spotting a gap in the digital health market.
The entrepreneur realised that although many women in Spain and Latin America were struggling with menopause, there was no Spanish-language app that provided resources and support.
This was a significant gap taking into account that in Spain alone there are more than five and a half million women between 45 and 60 years old.
“Menopause is often shrouded in stigma and silence,” said Leibovitz. “Many women feel ashamed or uncomfortable talking openly about their experiences, which leads to feelings of isolation and inadequacy.
“With Kala, we wanted to break down these barriers and encourage open and honest conversations about menopause.”
The app, one of the eight finalist projects in the university’s annual entrepreneurship programme, aims to support women by providing educational resources, offering tools to control and monitor symptoms, analysing the evolution and progression of menopause and helping users connect with each other.
It features a journal to help women track and record emotions, as well as guided meditations to help them manage stress, anxiety and other emotional symptoms associated with menopause.
“Kala aims to support all women in relation to the symptoms, stages or treatments,” explained Leibovitz.
“We use a comprehensive approach to ensure that women have access to all the necessary information, a space to share questions and experiences, tools to control and monitor symptoms and an analysis of the evolution and progression of menopause so that they can find solutions adapted to their own individual needs. Personalisation is a key aspect of our proposal.”
The goal, according to Leibovitz, is to “empower” women and combat the taboos and stigma around menopause.
“Menopause isn’t just a women’s issue: it’s a social reality that addresses broader issues of gender equality and rights. Historically, women’s health issues, including menopause, have been marginalised or ignored, reflecting broader disparities in healthcare access and treatment.
“Through Kala, we advocate for gender equality by raising awareness of the unique challenges faced by menopausal women and advocating for policies and practices that promote equitable access to healthcare and support,” she said.
“By equipping women with information about their bodies, symptoms and available treatment options, we empower them to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.”
To receive the Femtech World newsletter, sign up here.
Newsletter
Sign up for free weekly updates
The latest femtech news, research and investment, straight to your inbox.
