Today is International Women’s Day (IWD), a day to celebrate women’s achievements and contributions. It also draws attention to gender equality, advocates for women’s rights, and reminds us of the need for progress in education, health, and economic opportunities. By better understanding the need to include women, we create a better starting point and opportunities for women to develop, especially in the workplace.

IWD has a special meaning for Bachem. For example, we aim to increase the proportion of women in our workforce. Our Human Resources team is continuously working to attract and retain women for scientific careers and management positions. We also support initiatives to inspire young women to pursue careers in science. We are delighted to announce the upcoming launch of the “Women in Bachem” community. In this article, you can read more about the initiative, which aims to create a more inclusive working environment for women at Bachem.

What is “Women in Bachem”?

Women in Bachem (WIB) is a group of women working at Bachem who offer support to other women in developing professionally at Bachem. Our workforce currently comprises only 30% of women, and the higher up the organization, the fewer women. In some of our functions and sites, the proportion is surprising. WIB wants to contribute to the company’s efforts toward a better balance between men and women in different disciplines and leadership positions and foster personal development supporting career progression.

The idea of creating this community was first discussed over a coffee in early 2023, and very soon, a small group of women agreed to join and work on it. Current members of WIB found each other through word of mouth and appreciate each other for their drive, leadership, professionalism, and community spirit.

We consist of members across all locations worldwide and from various disciplines – such as Sales, Manufacturing, Quality Control, Human Ressources, and Business Process Management.

During the past few months, we have worked out what we believe would help other women in Bachem most: mentoring options and a knowledge-sharing platform.

The mentoring program

We are delighted about the upcoming launch of the first WIB initiative – a six-month mentoring program aimed exclusively at women in Bachem who want to face and overcome particular professional challenges. The program is voluntary for both mentors and mentees and runs independently of other Bachem initiatives, as the WIB community is independent.

Our mentoring program fosters personal development over several months, recognizing that meaningful behavior change takes time and sustained dialogue between mentors and mentees. We aim to create a supportive environment that complements the line manager’s role and provides additional insight and perspective to support the mentee’s development.

When the first pilot of this program launches in the second quarter of this year, we want to learn from, evaluate, and adapt the valuable feedback we receive from participants. We also aim to generate interest from the female community to increase the number of participants and make this exciting initiative a success.

We look forward to launching this empowering mentoring program soon. Stay tuned for more information.

Building a Stronger Future

A mentoring program for women is crucial to an inclusive work environment as it redresses the gender imbalance by providing tailored support and guidance. Such programs empower women to overcome career challenges and promote personal and professional development. By recognizing the importance of mentoring, women’s achievements are encouraged and valued, helping to create a more inclusive and equitable working environment.

At Bachem, our people are the foundation of our success, so we look forward to this new community and the future, always with the goal of continuing to work passionately as a team to develop life-saving ingredients that help patients.