Towards a morally sensitive, inclusive and empowering design of period trackers: An ethical analysis

Abstract

This thesis provides an ethical analysis of period trackers, assessing their role in being an ethically justified tool to empower women. Subsequently, empowerment would be established as the result of women increasingly gaining knowledge and agency over both their menstrual and overall health through the usage of period trackers. This thesis argues that period trackers contribute to women’s empowerment by: i) facilitating self-care, ii) promoting equal and inclusive healthcare access, iii) challenging stigmas concerning menstrual and sexual health and iv) bettering the socio-economic status of women. However, this thesis simultenaously identifies ethical drawbacks associated with period trackers that could disempower women. These drawbacks include: i) inadequate representation of different women, ii) women experiencing epistemic injustice, iii) the perpetuation of harmful narratives, and iv) the exploitation of women’s intimate data. In response to these concerns, this thesis suggests a threefold solution in order to mitigate these aforementioned ethical drawbacks. This solution proposes that: i) designers adopt an intersectional perspective, ii) designers are facilitated in prioritizing reliable data management, iii) designers foster moral competence in their design process. Finally, if these considerations are taken to heart, this thesis concludes that the usage of period trackers is indeed an ethically justified means to use in achieving women’s empowerment.