iSpeak Blog

International Women's Day and ISPE Women in Pharma

Georgia Keresty, MBA, PhD, MPH
Article

Thursday, March 8th is International Women’s Day and as described on the United Nations website:

”It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.”

The day has become a rallying point for programs, events and coming together in celebration of women and their achievements. However, the challenge is ensuring that for the other 364 days in the year there is still the same focus and commitment to continue enabling women to soar. Here is where Women in Pharma® (WIP) must play a key role.

With the unwavering support of the ISPE, Women in Pharma® has begun providing women in the pharmaceutical industry with:

  • a forum for connecting and collaborating on technical and career advancement topics
  • opportunities to speak, deliver technical presentations, and contribute to panel discussions
  • a community of WIP mentors, resources across all levels, and educational sessions to be an enabler for career success and work-life balance

These are opportunities for all women at ISPE and you will see Women in Pharma® booths or hear about what’s in Women in Pharma® at every major ISPE event around the globe. So, what can you do to support and progress our Women in Pharma® efforts? A few things immediately come to mind:

  • Sign up to sponsor and host an 8-person Networking Dinner at the 2018 ISPE Annual Meeting
  • Volunteer to organize a Women in Pharma® Networking Night at your ISPE Chapter or Affiliate Meeting
  • Organize a “Women in Pharma® Button” selling effort to benefit both Women in Pharma® and your Chapter or Affiliate
  • Become familiar with the Women in Pharma® Toolkit soon to have a home on the ISPE Website
  • Connect with other community members by joining the Women in Pharma® Networking Community

Bottom line is that there are many ways to support Women in Pharma® - and we welcome everyone’s enthusiasm and energy to keep Women in Pharma® active and vital for 365 days a year!