Chapter 10: Digital Technologies: Evaluating the Impact of Business Practices on Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in the SADC Region

The intersection between business and digital technologies is fairly obvious to many, as businesses tend to be strong actors in research, development and innovation within the private sector. However, the link between business, digital technologies and women’s sexual and reproductive rights, including SRHR-related technologies and other digital technologies that may be used in the context of SRHR, is not so clear, yet women are both producers and consumers of such technologies, that is to say, ‘prosumers’. This chapter contributes to the discourse within the context of Southern African Development Community (SADC), examining the role of business practices in promoting women’s access to SRHR through digital technologies (also referred to as ‘Femtech’, which may include tools, products, services, wearables and software). The research investigates opportunities and challenges posed by corporations in relation to Femtech and women’s SRHR within the SADC region, keeping in mind that the SADC region is home to diverse countries with different legal systems and cultural persuasions. Stemming from the premise that in recent years it has become evident that while private corporations can be valuable stakeholders in the advancement of research, innovation and technology and in improving the quality of life and realisation of human rights, they can also be contributors to the violation of human rights, and particularly women’s sexual and reproductive rights, through their conduct, or along their value chains, and general business practices broadly. The paper argues that while business practices in relation to digital technologies can significantly improve women’s access to SRHR, they can also have negative impacts.