Throughout the month of March BD is hosting a series of virtual events to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), including a panel discussion with BD leaders and the filmmakers behind the documentary feature “Pioneers in Skirts” on challenging gender inequality and fostering inclusivity.

BD regularly holds discussions related to inclusion and diversity to further build learning and growth together, and to drive better awareness on these critical issues. In addition to supporting associates, BD strives to advance gender equality in the community.

To help expand the global reach of “Pioneers in Skirts” and its message on gender parity, BD has sponsored the development of subtitles in Arabic, French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Simplified Chinese. These subtitles will be added just in time for a March 18^th screening of the documentary during the 2021 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) two-week session.

“Given the global nature of the United Nations session it’s vital that our film be accessible to a broader audience,” said Ashley Maria, Director, Producer and Co-writer of “Pioneers in Skirts.” “We want to thank BD for the sponsorship that made it possible and for their willingness to engage in the difficult conversations necessary to produce actionable change.”

BD made “Pioneers in Skirts” available for all associates to view and its Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) Associate Resource Group (ARG) hosted two follow-up panel discussions. One of BD’s nine ARGs, WIN provides BD associates with opportunities for networking, mentorship and professional development, as well as advocating for an inclusive culture that embraces a diversity of skills and ideas.

Ashley and “Pioneers in Skirts” Producer Lea-Ann W. Berst joined the discussions which were moderated by Ami Simunovich, EVP & Chief Regulatory Officer, and Joni Anderson, VP Regulatory Affairs, BD Interventional. Among the many topics discussed were the importance of conscious inclusion training, the role of sponsors and mentors in women’s career journeys, and male allyship. 

“BD fosters a culture where associates are encouraged to speak up because it builds trust and gets to better outcomes faster, both in the course of their day-to-day work and on difficult topics such as gender equality,” said Johnel Evans, Vice President, Inclusion & Diversity, BD. “I want to thank Ashley and Lea-Ann for sharing their powerful story and facilitating an important conversation about the barriers faced by women and how can all work together to break them down.”

For more on BD’s celebration of IWD, watch the above videos to learn how associates #ChooseToChallenge inequality and drive inclusiveness.