We’ve made progress throughout the years, but that progress has been far too slow. In an industry with a high proportion of women, we must do better in assuring equal gender representation at all levels of seniority.

Women in leadership positions tend to be the main catalysts for the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion in business settings. At Bionical Emas, women have been greatly responsible for creating a feeling of belonging across our company and that engenders a productive and rewarding working environment.

People from different genders generate a richer, more creative and innovative workplace. Bionical Emas’ mission to pioneer the way life-changing medicines are developed and accessed for patients around the world requires constant innovation and different perspectives. We truly believe this is only achieved when employees from a variety of genders and backgrounds work together.

Bionical Emas has done a great job in terms of achieving gender equality, with a workforce and management that is majority female. Women are always at the forefront of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. At Bionical Emas they have kick-started a comprehensive review of benefits that will foster a better work-life balance for our employees, particularly working mums, and carers. This is also key for our journey of becoming an employer of choice.

Pairing people with inspirational leaders, who will support them in overcoming challenges, is key to achieving equity. I was lucky enough to be inspired by a great woman in healthcare – my mum. As a woman in a leadership position, I will always guide and encourage women to push boundaries, while also creating opportunities at Bionical Emas that they need to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Go to bionicalemas.com

I see many companies that have shown diversity and inclusion across the industry, however whether that actually supports equity in ensuring the right person in the right job is debateable. It is still an area for improvement.

‘Women in healthcare’ is a strongly embedded approach at Bionical Emas – women are seen at all levels across the company. These women are also in posts because they are the best possible people to fulfil those roles, not because they are helping to ‘tick boxes’.

As a unique service provider for pharma, everyone’s perspective is recognised for the compelling knowledge they bring. The important element is to listen and respect that person’s input. Witnessing how other women have progressed throughout their careers forms a vital barometer for others to follow. There are several senior posts where women have been recruited to the company. These women are leading their teams in developing best practices to support excellent deliverables for numerous client

Working with children and young people from school age can inspire them into the industry through science pathways and role models. Opportunities to join pharma, however, can come via several different routes and Bionical Emas has a broad approach to recruitment. I would like to see robust coaching for women earlier in their healthcare careers and for mentoring programmes to allow more women to learn from others.

By understanding that career pathways can be tricky with bumps and sharp turns, I will continue to be a role model, coach or mentor for my team and those around me. Equally, I want to be encouraged by my own role models. To those that have inspired me so far, I say thank you!

Go to bionicalemas.com

There has been progress, but I think we’re still at the awareness stage. We’re only just beginning to see the huge, positive impact gender equality in healthcare can have throughout our society – from improving the way we trial our medicines and the bedside care women receive in the healthcare setting, to increased national prosperity and improved quality of life for all.

‘Women in healthcare’ speaks to two fundamental aspects. The first is inward looking – continuing to champion women within our company at an organisational level rather than individual. The second is outward looking – ensuring that the work we do day in, day out supports how women are represented, listened to, treated and cared for in healthcare settings.

It’s imperative to have different gender perspectives that are representative of us as a collective as well as the communities of healthcare professionals and patients that our work serves. It’s how we learn and grow.

Women’s role in healthcare formed a fundamental part of our latest thought leadership initiative, Health For All. We spoke to thought leaders like Dr Christine Ekechi – consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist and co-chair of The Royal College of Obstetricians – whose work highlighted gender disparity in misdiagnosis due to factors such as how seriously women’s pain reports are taken, and how understood ‘female conditions’ such as endometriosis are.

Through her work, she seeks to create a platform for women’s experiences by establishing which gender and racial gaps can be addressed. Her story, and others in the initiative, inspire us as a company, and our clients, to all do our bit in binding humanity and healthcare together more closely.

Go to havaslynx.com