Let’s Make Gender Balance A Reality

I have been thinking about International Women’s Day, as I do every year, and reflecting on the very important word at the heart of this year’s campaign: balance. The theme of “Balance for Better” raises the question of what we stand to gain by prioritizing gender balance in business and society. In my experience, gender diversity—diversity of all kinds, in fact—fuels the innovation that makes a company relevant.

Take the biopharmaceutical industry, where we tackle diseases affecting millions of lives. As medicine has evolved, we’ve discovered that treatment often has to be personalized. But personalization begins with understanding how the same medicine can affect different patients. To meet that goal, we’ve made tremendous strides to integrate gender-balanced patient perspectives, as well as broader forms of patient diversity, in every facet of our work. As a result, everything improves—our data, medicine development, and ability to impact as many patients’ lives as possible.

At a macro level, the World Economic Forum shows that societies with greater gender equality tend to grow faster, making gains in areas such as poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, and consumer choice. So not only do gender equality and economic development go hand-in-hand, but there’s an actual opportunity cost to a society that does not treat men and women as equal.

What Good Looks Like

“Balance for Better” is based on the idea that a gender-balanced world is a better world. As a proud Mom to both a daughter and son, this is an issue that hits close to home, particularly as I think about the opportunities I want them to have.

For them I imagine a world in which gender is neither a barrier nor a competitive advantage to achieving their goals. I want them to succeed because of their values, ability, and work ethic—not because of an X or Y chromosome. This isn’t to say we should ignore gender differences. It’s about creating equal opportunity, and ensuring that both men and women are represented in public and private sector leadership.

We also have to focus on making gender balance sustainable. Nowadays we see more and more women in executive positions, but it’s important to cultivate women’s leadership at all levels of an organization. In this way we can lay the groundwork for the next generation, and task them to do the same.

Gender equality comes up a lot these days, especially as I’m taking my daughter on her first college tours. These visits are so inspiring to me. On campuses across the US, I see young women fearlessly exercising their right to progress and leadership. What a brave new world they’ve created, both for themselves and for those—like my daughter—who will follow.

As I look to the future, I see both men and women representing the new generation of leaders. It’s my responsibility as a business leader and as a parent to help create a world that champions equality and helps everyone to thrive. Let’s be the change we want to see—let’s make gender balance a reality.

- Angela