International Women’s Day: breaking barriers, building gender and health equity 

Equity. For many, it is a familiar word. But describing and defining it? Not so easy at all. We at Boehringer Ingelheim have a concrete idea of what equity means to us and many reasons why we think it's worth fighting for. 

Equality vs. equity: what's the difference

• Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. 
• Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

What is gender equity?

According to the European Institute for Gender Equality gender equity refers to the provision of fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between men, women and all gender identities.

International Women’s Day: embracing health and gender equity

Following the global theme #EmbraceEquity, we want to take the opportunity to look back on what we have achieved so far – without losing sight of the fact that there is still much to do. Read and see how we put equity into practice.

Health disparities in heart failure: empowering Black and Latina women

Heart diseases are multifaceted. So are the patients. And when it comes to heart failure, there are many differences that shouldn’t be neglected. Research shows that once diagnosed with heart failure, women have worse outcomes compared to men. A deeper look reveals that among Black and Latina women specifically, these negative outcomes are magnified due to significant health disparities and inequities that exist in the management of the condition. Why is that? Because women tend to take care of all those around them, often at the expense of their own health, making it difficult to manage this complicated condition.

To address that unmet need, in April 2022, the Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance launched a program, called Hear Your Heart, in the United States. Its goal: Provide resources and education for women with heart failure, especially Black and Latina women, to help prioritize their care. The initiative recently expanded with the launch of Cuide Su Corazón, the second phase of the program, bringing culturally relevant, Spanish-language content and resources to support Latina women with heart failure.

“We are very proud of Hear Your Heart and Cuide Su Corazón and look forward to watching the program grow and resonate deeper with our audiences,” says Jennifer Forsyth, Director, Human Pharma Communications USA, Boehringer Ingelheim and Hear Your Heart project lead. “We encouraged proactive conversations between Black and Latina women and their care teams and helped them to better manage their heart health.” And there is more to come: “Conversations with health care representatives are ongoing, which aim to engage with medical communities, so they join us in our ambition to reduce health disparities in heart diseases and support gender equity.”
 

From waste to wealth: supporting the empowerment of women in rural communities

Tony Joy is one of our Making More Health fellows and founder of Durian, an organization that equips women in Nigerian rural communities with the knowledge and skills needed to transform their local waste and resources into a means of livelihood.

Tony came up with this idea because of her own experiences: “Growing up, I experienced a lot of negativities – sexual harassment, homelessness, poverty, and hunger. I heard very often, 'You are good for nothing.' As a female, I didn't fit the image society has of a woman, how she should look and behave. But I didn't want to leave everything to men, didn't want to be forced to get married to be taken care of”.

Inspired by her own experiences and the struggles many women face in rural Nigeria, especially in terms of access to education and economic opportunities, Tony decided to do everything in her power to make change happen: “The cultural norm still makes it very difficult for women in rural communities and they are far from being treated equally. I want to help them understand the value of who they are and what they have. I want to change the narrative that neither ‘rural’ nor ‘female’ must mean poor. I envision a world where rural women are economically and socially empowered and 'rural is cool.'” Currently, Durian offers several programs, such as making crafts with bamboo and skin care products from cacao, fashion and cassava processing. So far, the team has trained over 150 women directly and reached 30,000 women across six communities.

But Tony's goal goes beyond economic empowerment: “It's also about breaking the cycle and showing women how strong they are,” she explains. Tony firmly believes that women are a powerful force, especially when they come together: “If 10 women stand together, they can overcome any obstacle.” With her organization, she is working to make that happen.

Come here, grow here: it’s all about opportunities

“Not sure if am the right person to talk to about gender equity,” is Nadège’s first reaction to our meeting invite. “But happy to share my thoughts.” One interview later, we are convinced: Nadège is one impressive example of how we envision women growing in our company.

Nadège started at Boehringer Ingelheim in 2015 as a working student, while completing her veterinarian studies at a university in Lyon, France. It was her first on-the-job training and a smooth transition into a full-time working contract. Today, she cannot just look back on the year-and-a-half spent abroad in our Animal Health site Duluth, U.S., but on countless opportunities for networking, exchanging, and building up on her potential. “I never felt that I was treated differently as a woman.” Quite the opposite. “I had many inspiring men and women around me that have always made me feel safe and respected.” According to Nadège, Boehringer Ingelheim offers many opportunities for women, such as a Women in Leadership Program, tailored coaching and seminars, as well as employee resource groups to connect and share experiences. 

Any thoughts on the status quo when it comes to gender equity in our company and beyond? “I can only speak for myself,” says Nadège, “but at Boehringer Ingelheim, I found the perfect environment for my ambitions.” However, she is aware that many women around the globe do not get the same level of support she did: “There are still many gaps that need to be closed. I hope that more of us around the world will strive for more equity - until every woman can realize her full potential.”