Women in Pharma – Asmita Khanolkar Pharmapack 2023
At Pharmapack 2023, the CPHI team interviewed several leading women in the pharmaceutical industry about what it means to be a woman working in this field. Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023, we are proud to provide a platform for women to speak out on the importance of representation in pharma.
In this interview, we spoke to Asmita Khanolkar, Senior Director at Cambridge Pharma/Oval, SMC Ltd on the challenges women face and how the field needs to change.
Challenges for women in pharma
Asmita Khanolkar addresses the challenges faced by women in pharma, she acknowledges that women in pharma are generally better represented than in other areas in STEM, up to 47% of the workforce compared to about 25% in other fields, but even with this there are still pitfalls that need to be addressed.
Khanolkar chooses to focus on two key challenges; leadership, and innovation. In leadership roles, there are only around 8% of positions taken up by women, this shows how much the figure is filtered down from the approximate 40% in the general workforce at a lower level. This is something that is symptomatic of the wider workforce, retention of women in leadership positions is needed to give even just an accurate representation of the population’s point of view, as Khanolkar goes on to say:
“Women make up 51% of the population so their voice has to be there in any solution they bring forward, so we’d just be missing out on half of the solution of any situation!”
The second challenge that Khanolkar highlights is in innovation. She quickly rattles off facts that show that women are not taken seriously as leaders in this area, with a lack of female-led projects and research papers.
To overcome these challenges Khanolkar drives home how crucial it is to inspire women and girls from very early on and nurture that diversity of thought, rather than limiting it.
“Understanding why it’s important to think outside the box, a lot of times the confidence level needs to be there to be able to say things outside the box, to be able to look beyond what you can see, and get to the other side of innovation, so education in those early years to get there is so important.”
Advice for women of colour
Khanolkar was brimming with advice, one of the key things she mentions is to try and find a mentor or a coach. Someone to connect with and who can provide support along the career path, especially if they’ve already paved the way. She also encourages proactivity, always being open to learning new things and again, building confidence.
To conclude, Khanolkar wants to see more women in CEO positions, more diversity in the workspace, and to create an environment where men and women work together to drive innovation:
“That’s what is really going to make the difference in the pharma industry.”
Related News
-
News More to celebrate at the CPHI Milan Pharma Awards 2024
The CPHI Milan Pharma Awards, which are now open for nominations until 18 May 2024, celebrate the innovators making a difference. This year, two new categories have been added to further honour the contributions of a diverse range of pharma professiona... -
News Special Edition Women in Pharma: Women’s health and the pharmaceutical industry
International Women’s Day is an annual celebration of women around the world every March 8. March also marks Women’s History Month. This March, our Women in Pharma series takes a look at how women’s healthcare has developed, and the r... -
News Informa Markets International Women’s Day Panel Discussion
On March 7, 2024, the Informa Markets Amsterdam office hosted an International Women’s Day Breakfast and Panel Discussion to celebrate the women who drive the B2B events industry forward, including members of the CPHI team. -
News 5 African American Pharmaceutical Pioneers: Honouring Black History Month
In recognition of February as Black History Month in the United States, we cover the lives and works of five pioneering African American pharmaceutical professionals who have contributed significantly to the world of pharmaceuticals and drug devel... -
News Genome study discovers 275 million new variants across a diverse population
A new genome study undertaken in the US, accounting for a diverse range of people, has led to the discovery of nearly 300 million new genetic variants, which could inform markers of disease. -
News Special Edition Women in Pharma: International Day of Women and Girls in Science
In this monthly series, we bring insightful content, events, and communities dedicated to sharing best practices for DE&I strategies and showcasing underrepresented voices in the pharmaceutical community. -
News Women in Pharma: Minding the Gap at Pharmapack 2024
2024 marks the first year Pharmapack will host a Diversity track dedicated to bridging the gap within the pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery sector. The track includes a panel discussion on 'Enabling Diversity in the Workplace,' focused... -
News Pharmapack 2024 - From the Floor
Paris once again welcomes Europe’s leading trade show in pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery innovation. Join our content team as Pharmapack 2024 opens its doors to leading experts and innovators in pharmaceutical packaging and drug delive...
Position your company at the heart of the global Pharma industry with a CPHI Online membership
-
Your products and solutions visible to thousands of visitors within the largest Pharma marketplace
-
Generate high-quality, engaged leads for your business, all year round
-
Promote your business as the industry’s thought-leader by hosting your reports, brochures and videos within your profile
-
Your company’s profile boosted at all participating CPHI events
-
An easy-to-use platform with a detailed dashboard showing your leads and performance