Honoring Women’s Health Month: A Tribute to Generations of Wisdom
May is Women’s Health Month, a time to recognize the vital role women play in shaping the future of health and wellness. In the world of medicinal plants and nutraceuticals, this role has deep and enduring roots. Across centuries and cultures, women have been the stewards of botanical knowledge—gathering, preparing, and passing down remedies that nourish body and spirit.
In honor of this month, and in memory of the many women who have quietly advanced this work in their homes and communities, we spotlight Dr. U. Şebnem Harput Doner’s powerful reflection on women’s contributions to herbal medicine. This piece is especially dedicated to her grandmother, Ummuhan Harput, who—like countless women before her—carried a living pharmacy in her mind and heart, shaped by tradition and nurtured through practice.
Join us in celebrating the wisdom, resilience, and innovation of women—past and present—who continue to shape the future of plant-based healing.
For centuries, women have been key figures in herbal medicine, blending plants into remedies, making a bridge between tradition and science. According to the World Health Organization, almost half the population in many industrialized countries regularly uses some form of traditional and complementary medicine for primary health care (United States, 42%; Australia, 48%; France, 49%; Canada, 70%). Furthermore, 40% of all current medications originated from nature and traditional knowledge.1 While both men and women have contributed significantly to the discovery and use of medicinal plants, women have played a unique role in preserving, sharing, and advancing this botanical knowledge.
A Historical Perspective
Studies show that women typically use plant materials in more varied ways than men. They play a crucial role in the utilization of plant species for domestic purposes, including medicinal, culinary, nutritional, and aesthetic uses, as highlighted by ethnobotanical studies worldwide. For example, a crop like rice is more than just food; it also provides straw for thatching, husks for fuel, and leaves for cooking. As gardeners, women maintain home gardens, which provide essential resources such as food, medicines, herbs, spices, building materials, and fuel. These gardens also serve as educational spaces where women teach children agricultural skills and plant management. Women often take charge of seed exchange, preservation, and storage, which are key processes that ensure plant diversity and adaptability.2
The gender division of labor also influences women’s expertise. Men often collect plants, especially when it requires going through difficult areas, while women typically handle the drying, storage, and preparation. By managing these tasks and preparing herbal remedies, they ensure vital botanical knowledge is passed down to future generations. In many rural areas, women continue to recover and reconstruct plant knowledge once considered “old-fashioned,” bringing it back into mainstream use. However, it is important to recognize that increased responsibility often reflects gender inequality. Women frequently carry a heavier burden for caregiving, farming, and other household tasks, which can perpetuate imbalances. Recognizing and addressing these issues is essential if we want to see true gender equality in society.3
There are numerous records from ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Middle Ages documenting the significant contributions of women in medicine. Women healers were primarily responsible for planting medicinal herb gardens and maintaining pharmacies, underscoring their crucial role in the development and preservation of medicinal practices. There are many excellent publications related to the history of herbal medicines for women, and readers are highly encouraged to explore these works to gain a deeper understanding of women's vital contributions to their development.4
Women’s Knowledge of Medicinal Plants
Research by Voeks explored the role of gender in medicinal plant knowledge in tropical landscapes, finding that women knew a higher percentage of medicinal plant names than men. Women also knew more medicinal uses for each plant species than men. While both men’s and women’s knowledge grows over time, women accumulate this knowledge more quickly. As a result, older women usually know more about medicinal plants and remedies.5
These findings match many personal accounts as well. My own grandmother, who passed away after living over 100 years, treated her children with numerous herbal remedies. She used different herbal mixtures in everyday life. I remember that she knew the plants incredibly well, their growing seasons, the best time to harvest, and how to prepare them, almost as if she had learned it all from books. But it was all from experience, coming through the generations. She passed down this knowledge about Anatolian herbal medicines in stories and practices that continue to influence our family today. These experiences underline the essential role of women in preserving and transmitting this knowledge.
Ethnobotanical Insights
From an ethnobotanical perspective, numerous plants have historically been used for women’s health. These cover a wide range of health concerns, such as:
Reproductive health: fertility enhancement, contraception, labor induction, and postpartum care.
Gynecological concerns: managing menstruation, menopause, uterine infections, and vaginal inflammations.
General health: preventing infections, relieving pain, and improving mental health.3
Today, when we look at herbal supplements designed for women’s health, areas such as menopausal symptoms, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), reproductive health, urinary tract infections, and mood-related concerns frequently emerge as top reasons for choosing botanical products. For example, black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), native to eastern North America, is now widely used for easing menopause. In addition to its effectiveness in night sweats and hot flashes, the vasorelaxation properties enhance its positive benefits on menopausal symptoms.6
Modern-Day Implications and Calls to Action
Women’s role in the traditional and modern use of plants is both deep-rooted and dynamic. Beyond traditional roles, women today continue to make important contributions to the world of medicinal plants and nutraceuticals. A great example is Tu Youyou, a Chinese scientist who studied traditional herbal medicine and discovered artemisinin, a treatment for malaria. Her work saved millions of lives and earned her the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015. This shows how traditional knowledge, often kept alive by women, can lead to major medical discoveries.
Acknowledging this heritage and supporting women at all levels ensures that the future of plant-based health care will be fair, accessible, and enriched by generations of knowledge. To recognize and expand the impact of women’s contributions, here are some actions we can take together:
Fund more research on women’s health needs.
Include women and minorities in clinical research. Broad participation helps ensure more accurate and beneficial findings for these populations.
Support women’s growth in the botanical industry. Encourage mentorship programs, leadership training, and supportive networks for women scientists and entrepreneurs.
By recognizing women’s contributions and creating equal opportunities from research to policy-making, we can improve our collective health and healing.
Author: U. Şebnem Harput Doner, PhD, Professor of Pharmacognosy, Istanbul, Turkey & WIN Science Committee Member
References:
1World Health Organization. Traditional medicine. Retrieved January 17, 2025, from https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/traditional-medicine
2Chaturvedi, M. (2023). Botany and women: The role of gender in biodiversity management and indigenous knowledge. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research, 12(5), 77–81.
3Mantuan, V., & Sannomiya, M. (2024). Women and medicinal plants: A systematic review in the field of ethnobotany. Acta Scientiarum Biological Sciences, 46, e70700.
4Romm, A. J., & Winston, D. (2017). Chapter 2 – History of herbal medicines for women. In A. Romm, Botanical medicine for women's health (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone.
5Voeks, R. (2007). Are women reservoirs of traditional plant knowledge? Gender, ethnobotany, and globalization in northeast Brazil. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 28(1), 7–20.
6Dietz, B. M., Hajirahimkhan, A., Dunlap, T. L., & Bolton, J. L. (2016). Botanicals and Their Bioactive Phytochemicals for Women's Health. Pharmacological reviews, 68(4), 1026–1073.
