The future is exciting. Let’s build a gender-balanced world. Everyone has a part to play – all the time, everywhere.

BD is dedicating the month of March to celebrating associates who champion a better balance in the workplace – and beyond – in honor of International Women’s Day (#IWD). On Friday, March 8, advocates around the world will applaud the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while also tenaciously challenging bias.

As an organization, we strive to be the company of choice for women to work, supporting our associates as they fulfill career and goal aspirations. BD’s dedicated Associate Resource Group, Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), provides our 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.

Across our network of 65,000 employees on six continents, we see #BalanceforBetter champions every day. Here are a few standout associates who are leaders in the crusade to support the advancement of women at BD:

[Pauline Lee]

Pauline Lee, Manager Global User Adoption (Kuala Lumpur)

“If you believe in making a difference, you need to start by making an impact and change in your own organization.”

Pauline is an inspiring leader who advocates for inclusion and diversity by building diverse teams and ensuring equal pay and advancement opportunities for all genders. Pauline encourages others to acknowledge that a culturally diverse workplace is something worth working towards in order to make a positive change within an organization. She believes that speaking up is the most important way to revolutionize a culture for future generations.

[Anita Bestelmeyer]

Anita Bestelmeyer, Senior Director, Corporate Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA)

“Understanding and embracing different perspectives helps you feel good about the decisions you make, which ultimately impact and touch the lives of people around you.”

Anita is committed to building diverse teams and a diverse talent pipeline at BD, starting with her team of associates that have a broad range of engineering technology expertise. Anita participates in diversity learning courses, is an active member of BD’s Associate Resource Groups, recruits female engineering talent for the company and serves as a leader and mentor for BD’s Technology Leadership Development Program. Anita believes people who feel valued are willing to give so much more than what is expected of their role.

[Ben Redgell]

Ben Redgell, Digital Marketing Executive (United Kingdom)

“Don’t wait for opportunities to come and find you, seek out chances to improve your knowledge, experience and network.”

At university, Ben researched how gender effects leadership opportunities and success and found himself shocked to discover how many challenges women commonly – and currently – face across the globe. His desire to fight for change fueled his interest in fighting for an inclusive and diverse culture, helping to organize and deliver three International Women’s Day events, as well as support activities, events and initiatives for the company’s Inclusion and Diversity teams in the U.K. and Europe. Ben’s outlook is simple; he would never want his sisters to be given less opportunities or face additional challenges just because of their gender. Ben encourages his peers not to be afraid to add a new perspective or challenge decisions and processes if they can be improved.

Kelly and Lisa are leaders of BD’s Associate Resource Group, WIN (Women’s Initiative Network). Kelly is the Senior Business Director – Vascular Prep & Intelliport; and Lisa is Vice President of Research & Development, Product Development and Strategy