Clinical Researcher—April 2025 (Volume 39, Issue 2)
SCIENCE & SOCIETY
Contributed by CluePoints
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (March 8) was “Accelerate Action.” In this column, women at CluePoints discuss the steps we can all take to achieve gender equality—and what needs to change at a societal level.
Why Do We Need to Accelerate Action?
A growing body of research suggests a commitment to gender equity can have concrete financial benefits.{1} However, according to the World Economic Forum, it will take until 2158 to achieve full gender parity.{2} In the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), we’re predicted to reach equal representation by 2070{3}—if we can continue encouraging women and girls to join and thrive in the closely related industries to which STEM training leads.
Unfortunately, such encouragement is often in short supply or lacking in terms of its desired effects. Women account for less than a third of students enrolled in STEM programs at the university level worldwide,{4} are less likely to have a defined career advancement route,{5} and are more likely to leave the industry by the midpoint in their career.{6}
Sylviane de Viron, Data and Knowledge Manager, believes it’s crucial to understand the underlying reasons for gender equity’s shortcomings: “These reasons can vary significantly between countries but also depend on other environmental factors like education. For example, in some countries, women have limited or no access to education or university. Parental leave policies differ greatly worldwide, with varying equity levels between genders. It is essential that country leaders and company executives address these environmental root causes to significantly impact gender equity.”
Confronting Biases and Encouraging Dialogue
Despite decades of work, gender stereotypes, including that women are less competent or independent than men, remain largely unchanged.{7} Women are also more likely to make career sacrifices to meet caring responsibilities.{8}
Holly Gratkowski, Chief Professional Officer, believes it’s essential to recognize and stay aware of unconscious bias and the impact it can have on how women are treated: “Anyone who thinks they don’t harbor any bias is mistaken—it’s woven into our upbringing, our environment, and the challenges we’ve each encountered. The key is to call attention to it in a way that invites discussion rather than villainizing anyone. This has to be an ongoing dialogue. We must also speak up and address bias when we see it.”
Catherine Ditzler, Vice President of Marketing, agrees that an open dialogue is crucial: “I think accelerating action and the rate of speed at which we can make progress is truly just a matter of giving everybody a voice and making sure that we’re all stepping up to the plate to bring new ideas to the table, to problem solve, and to be better together.”
Marthe Masschelein, Vice President of Data Services, says we need to normalize ambition and change traditional care expectations: “When I think of women in leadership, it’s about motivation, passion, ambition, and a positive can-do approach. I believe many women have these qualities, and we should support each other more in demonstrating them, and normalizing that women can be ambitious, have drive, and be good mothers simultaneously. Similarly, normalizing the fact that men can take a long parental leave, for example, as well as women.”
Creating Transparent, Supportive Leadership
A 2021 analysis of 182 biotech and pharma companies revealed that 92% of CEOs are men. Using average CEO compensation figures, the same analysis estimated male CEOs bring in a total of $1.2 billion in compensation. Female CEOs bring in $105 million. If CEO roles were split equally, $637 million would go to female CEOs. This means women are missing out on an estimated $532 million annually in potential CEO earings.{9} Yet organizations that incorporate a variety of perspectives, experiences, and leadership styles consistently outperform those with homogenous leadership.{1}
Melissa Thomas, Central Monitor Consultant, believes it’s vital for everyone to feel heard: “In my work, I focus on ensuring diverse perspectives are considered in decisions and sharing resources that empower individuals to use critical thinking to bring their unique insights and perspectives to our teams. By providing clear and accessible information, I help reduce barriers to knowledge and support equal opportunities for all.”
Stephanie Marques, Global Vice President for Commercial Mid-Market, believes women should be encouraged to lead with unapologetic confidence: “As a woman in leadership, I’m used to being the only female on the call. I’m unapologetic about being there. I know I earned that right; it wasn’t given to me. As a leader, it’s important for me to create a transparent environment for my team. It’s my job to understand what energizes my team members and provide them the support and resources to achieve their goals, which, in turn, will benefit the goals of the business.”
Providing Mentorship
Women with a sponsor or advocate are more likely to have their ideas endorsed, developed, and implemented.{10} Laura DiCindio, Director of Project Delivery, believes championing each other, listening, and providing constructive feedback are vital: “I value providing a space for my team built on trust and where we can raise each other up, celebrate our successes, and share those successes with the wider organization. It’s also important to me to provide my team with opportunities for mentorship and continued education, aligning these opportunities to their interests and passions.”
Andrea McSweeney, Vice President for Customer Success, drew inspiration from a scene in the movie version of Glengarry Glen Ross featuring Alec Baldwin pushing the concept of “ABC—Always Be Closing” to ensure that mentorship is at the heart of her leadership style: “I think like many women early in their career, I struggled with confidence and wanted to be led by example, but when I looked around and saw limited women in leadership positions it made the path forward ambiguous. Pursuing leadership roles, I thought of Baldwin’s character’s mantra and made it my own. Instead of ‘ABC,’ it became ‘ABM—Always Be Mentoring.’ Mentoring isn’t just an active agreement between you and someone who has recognized your expertise and sought you out. It’s also a passive mindset that drives you to show up to professional spaces and speak up, challenge systems not originally designed for women to succeed, and set an example that no matter who you are, you bring unique thoughts and ideas to the table that improve these spaces for everyone. It’s the responsibility of all female leaders to speak up and uplift the next generation of female rockstars to close that gap quicker than 2158.”
References
- https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/why-gender-equity-in-the-workplace-is-good-for-business
- https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/06/global-gender-gap-2024-what-to-know/
- https://womenindata.co.uk/pathways-into-data-women-in-data-initiatives-for-gender-parity/
- https://stem4alleurasia.org/gender-in-stem/gender-barriers-in-education
- https://www.womentech.net/women-in-tech-stats
- https://womenindata.co.uk/stuck-on-the-bottom-rung-why-women-are-still-falling-behind-in-data-and-tech-leadership/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S147149062400108X
- https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/women-7-times-more-likely-men-be-out-work-due-caring-commitments
- https://www.businessinsider.com/gender-inequity-drug-industry-little-progress-on-diverse-female-ceos-2021-4
- https://coqual.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/23_athenafactor2point0_keyfindings-1.pdf
