Jiwon Park vividly remembers the moment that changed her life. As a 28-year-old assistant professor in 2013, she had challenged her class at the University of Texas at Austin to address a social issue with design – and a student’s presentation on contraceptives caused her face to burn with a “bright red blush”. But it dawned on her that not only was she “the only one in the classroom who felt awkward”, she had also never before touched a condom, even though she was sexually active. “I was taught to stay naive about contraceptives and sexual health, and I realised it was this patriarchal culture that was putting women’s health in danger,” she said at an event organised by UN Women and US nonprofit The Moth. Delving deeper into the issue, Park discovered that low condom usage in her home country of South Korea was rooted in a cultural bias, where men often refused to use them, and women were hesitant to insist due to fear of societal judgement. Motivated to make a difference, Park founded SAIB, a femtech brand that helps to empower women to take charge of their sexual health. SAIB is the reverse of the word “bias”, signalling the company’s
mission to overturn sexual biases against women. Her journey from academic to entrepreneur, however, was far from smooth. The media coverage of SAIB brought with it a wave of criticism and harsh online comments, including slut-shaming and sexual harassment. Park also struggled to be taken seriously by potential investors and manufacturers when she said she was going to make condoms. “People looked at me as if I were doing something immoral.” Online violence affects millions of people worldwide, with a disproportionate impact on women, girls and gender-diverse people. A 2020 study by The Economist Intelligence Unit found that up to 88 per cent of women in Asia and the Pacific had experienced online gender-based violence. According to UN Women, the consequences of this are as severe as offline violence, encompassing emotional, psychological and economic harm. Park’s resolve wavered amid the widespread online rejection, but she pressed on. A turning point came when an interview in a major South Korean newspaper drew considerable public support, especially from women. The comments section, usually an area full of backlash, was filled with scores of messages thanking Park for her initiative. “Women were fighting with me. I was not alone,” she said. Support from women has been crucial in her
ongoing mission of dismantling patriarchal biases, Park told Lunar. She noted that South Korea’s current leadership was “unabashedly antifeminist”, with President Yoon Suk-yeol’s conservative administration implementing policies that “undermine gender equality”. “However, we are witnessing strong women fighting to protect our rights amidst this, and I remain hopeful,” Park said. “Women continuously face various biases and stigmas regarding their bodies and health conditions throughout their lives. I aim to expand SAIB’s product lines to cover the female life cycle and challenge all the biases women face in their journeys.” Signing off,
Lunar
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