A talk with our research manager ELSA SAHITI

Elsa has a double degree in International Business and Politics and International Management from Copenhagen Business School. During her studies she has been working in various start-up’s and is currently working on starting her own. Recently she joined us at DUSK as a research and project manager focusing on developing sustainable products.

What’s the first thing we need to change within the femcare industry?
What we need to change first, is the societal narrative, the way we talk about femcare, openly addressing inequalities and issues without taboos. I believe that normalising the discussion and driving the topic out of its niche will have a powerful impact on innovating and improving femcare as it becomes more inclusive and open towards bright minds and ideas.

How did you get interested in femcare?
I have always been passionate about social topics and solving inequalities. The passion about femcare came almost naturally not only as it affects myself, but also as I regard the recent and future development of femcare as highly political. Recently, this passion became amplified for me as I have become emotional by open injustices towards womxn within healthcare for example when it comes to the pink tax, contraceptive solutions and lacking research in female health. 

If you were to teach sex ed to a bunch of 15 y/olds what would be the first subject in class?
Body autonomy. Your body is yours. Let’s understand the concept of self-ownership and self-determination over our own bodies first before we learn how it works and changes. Especially at this wonderfully exciting and often frightening age, I feel that it is important to build confidence about your body, the way it looks and works and understanding that what you do with it is your choice only.

What's the best advice you ever got from your mom?
Be human, take care of others, give where you can. Nothing you do or achieve is worth anything if it is at the cost of your humanity.

You are an entrepreneur yourself - any advice for womxn who want to create their own business? 
Talk about it. Talk with anyone who will listen. The more you talk about your idea, the more you will see it grow. Don’t be afraid, nobody will steal your idea.  The hard part is executing your idea, not everybody can do that.