#BreaktheBias for Women in Health Care

Working in the clinical development and health care solutions space, I’ve always believed that our role as stakeholders in health care requires us to be at the forefront of breaking down barriers and biases that drive inequity in health so we can improve health outcomes for all.

As we observe Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day at Real Chemistry, we are focusing on the theme of #breakthebias. So, what does that mean in practice?

Women’s health remains an area with many challenges and stark disparities in health outcomes, especially among women from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This is especially true in clinical research and treatment. According to an article on BioMedCentral, “The common practice of prescribing equal drug doses to women and men neglects sex differences in pharmacokinetics and dimorphisms in body weight, risks overmedication of women, and contributes to female-biased adverse drug reactions.”

When you consider the fact that, in clinical research, we are still designing clinical studies for women without asking them what they want or what works for them, it’s no surprise that challenges in recruiting women into clinical trials persist.

I believe the inability to empower women when it comes to their own health is based on a long history of bias in the biopharmaceutical and health care industry. 

Over the years, I have seen how the health care industry has worked to address disparities between men and women in the workplace. Although there is still much work to be done, more females are being appointed CEO at biopharmaceutical companies, and the number of senior female leaders in the industry is increasing overall. As a result, we are seeing more companies in the industry realising the advantages of investing in women.

Here at Real Chemistry, the international leadership team is 80% female, which was definitely a factor that attracted me to the company when I joined in 2020.

Breaking the biases against women in the workplace starts with increasing female empowerment and making offices more inclusive. Typically, companies exclude those of us with overlapping identities, and initiatives that invest in women are developed from a lens that acknowledges the barriers that exist for women but ignores the privileges that exist for white/cis/het women.

As a Black woman, I must navigate challenges at the intersection of race and gender, and it’s impossible for me to separate my experiences as a woman from my racial identity. Admittedly, throughout my career, I’ve been more conscious of the fact that I do not see many women that look like me in leadership roles, and I always notice that I am the only Black person in a room before I notice that I am the only woman. Taking an inclusive approach allows us to recognize and address the barriers that exist for different women and advance representation of diverse women at all levels.

We can also break biases by amplifying women’s voices and making sure we are heard – not only in spaces where we are already present, but by making a conscious effort to invite us into spaces where we are underrepresented, such as at conferences, speaking events and trade shows.

Although noticing when a women’s perspective is absent seems obvious, decisions that impact women are often made without ever involving us or asking for our opinion. To improve this, we should endorse women with less experience for projects. Research
has shown there is a double standard in selecting men versus women for projects. Men are frequently chosen based on their potential, whereas women are selected based on their prior experience. If you have a woman on your team who you think can do a role well given the right support, then empower her to do so. Endorsing women also means making connections and helping them build their network.

Allow women to authentically bring their whole selves to work, whether that’s as a mother, caregiver or any other parts of their life as a woman. At Real Chemistry, I’m fortunate that my passions as a Black woman can co-exist with my professional endeavors. I have a space in which I am empowered to authentically and effectively support our clients as we strive to bring novel treatments to market and improve awareness and access to health care – all with the aim of eliminating health inequalities and improving health outcomes.

Allowing us to #breakthebias for all.