Accelerating Action: Empowering Women in Regulatory Affairs

Every year, on March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated to recognise the achievements and success of women worldwide. This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #AccelerateAction, recognising the urgent need to drive gender equity forward. From forging women’s economic empowerment to increasing access to education, leadership, and STEM, real progress comes from action. It’s about building inclusive workplaces, designing infrastructure that meets women’s needs, and supporting informed health choices.

This article will showcase approaches that can close the gap on gender equity. We also explore DLRC’s work to promote gender equity within the company. This extends to the world of regulatory affairs but also recognises that there is still work to be done. To gain real insights, we discussed topics important to #AccelerateAction at DLRC and the pharmaceutical industry with our team members. We also reflect on our accomplishments and discuss our plans for the future to Accelerate Action.

 

Leadership Spotlight: How DLRC’s Female Founder Drives Pharma Industry Change

Dianne Lee, CEO and founder of DLRC, leads the organisation’s strategic operations across the UK, EU, and US. Before DLRC’s inception in 2005, Dianne was an independent contractor for renowned pharmaceutical firms. She served as Director of Regulatory Affairs at Serono UK. She also contributed to Schering Plough and SK&F.

Dianne’s expertise is fortified by her qualifications in Applied Biology, a Diploma in Company Direction (Institute of Directors), and her TOPRA Fellowship. She is committed to advancing global healthcare and champions DLRC’s unwavering dedication to regulatory excellence. This is while fostering positive impacts on people and the planet.

 

What unique challenges do women face within the pharmaceutical industry, and how can these be addressed?

Flexibility is the key to supporting women in the workplace. A particular challenge for regulatory affairs is the constant change in systems, processes, regulations/directives, and innovation progress with new types of products. Taking off maternity breaks can leave women feeling out of date, and there’s a need to get back up to speed on return. By offering KIT days, we give our returners time to get back up to speed without the pressure of being fully back at work. Having policies allowing flexibility of hours/days worked so that women and men can get used to changes at home with new babies or children who have started school with a new routine.

 

What advice would you give to companies to Accelerate Action and/ or aspiring women leaders within the industry?

For gender diversity, it’s crucial that people are adequately remunerated and that opportunities for training and development are fairly made available to women and men. I would advise larger companies with a gender pay gap to bite the bullet and budget to accelerate closing that gap.

 

Building Inclusive Teams: Recruiting, Retaining and Developing Diverse Talent

We pride ourselves on our commitment to gender diversity across all levels of the organisation. At the DLRC Group, women comprise over 50% of the workforce. This applies from junior roles to our board of directors. However, we recognise that not all sectors and companies have such high gender diversity. Our Head of People, Bina Tailor, joined us a year ago. We asked her for insights into recruiting, training, and retaining women.

 

In your experience, what are the key challenges in recruiting women into highly technical or leadership roles within the pharmaceutical industry? How can these be addressed?

One of the key challenges is that women are often underrepresented in senior leadership positions. Reasons for this could be gender pay, where male colleagues are paid higher, which could discourage women from pursuing or staying in senior leadership roles. The demand for the role, where long hours or travel are involved, can disproportionately affect women. This is especially prevalent for those with caregiving responsibilities. But also, how we recruit could unintentionally discourage women from applying depending on specific criteria stipulated.

At DLRC, we review our salaries in line with the market to ensure we pay fairly across all roles irrespective of gender or other protected characteristics. We also actively promote flexible working within the organisation, with remote working and flexible hours to balance personal and work responsibilities. Our recruitment and promotion tools allow hiring managers to make decisions based on experience, thus removing biases.

 

What policies should pharmaceutical companies adopt to support work-life balance better and foster an inclusive environment for women at all career stages?

Some key policies that companies should promote around work-life balance are Flexible working and Family-friendly leave, as well as regular well-being initiatives that promote a healthy work-life balance. The organisation’s culture is key to fostering an inclusive environment. I believe this is driven by raising awareness through educating our teams, inclusive recruitment and pay processes, and actively driving ESG groups for underrepresented groups.

At DLRC the wellbeing of our teams is really important. We support our teams through our employee assistance programme, including GP appointments, access to the Headspace app and monthly health talks, as well as through our dedicated trained wellbeing champions. We are proud to have a diverse workforce, with over 30% of our employees identifying as ethnic minorities. In addition, 25% of our management team comes from underrepresented groups. We use anonymous surveys to track diversity metrics such as race, gender, and age. This data helps us drive our inclusion initiatives and ensure a welcoming environment at all levels.

 

Supporting Women and Girls in Leadership, Decision-making, Business and STEM

We asked Sharon Robinson, an Associate Director here at DLRC, about the importance of supporting women and girls in leadership roles, decision-making positions, and careers in business and STEM.

 

What barriers prevent women from entering leadership roles, and how can they be dismantled?

Gender Bias and Stereotypes:

Society still puts women in certain boxes, which can be hard to break out of. Therefore, we must challenge these old-school ideas and appreciate women’s unique skills and achievements. The first step in helping is raising awareness about the existence of these barriers; awareness and education in an organisation are key, alongside policies that promote diversity and inclusion, transparent hiring practices, equal pay initiatives, and clear promotion guidelines. DLRC is pretty good as it has always offered diversity and inclusion, particularly when it comes to women. It really shows that having a woman at the top can make a difference for women in an organisation.

 

Lack of Role Models:

Although there are now more, there still aren’t many women leaders to look up to. So, we need to promote and celebrate women in leadership to inspire others and show the diverse talents women bring to the table. Need to celebrate the success of women leaders, e.g., through social media campaigns and networking events such as Women in Leadership. DLRC is pretty effective at this; there are many women in senior leadership roles (maybe even more than men!) within the organisation. We feel recognised for what we can bring, hopefully inspiring the next pool of potential leaders. Creating inclusive networking opportunities can help women build essential connections that can help them along the way.

 

Glass Ceiling and Double Standards:

Unfortunately, invisible barriers still exist, making it harder for women to reach the top positions, particularly in large traditional organisations. Women often face double standards, where the same traits are praised in men but criticised in women. For example, in meetings where men are assertive, they are often seen as strong leaders, but when women display the same assertiveness, they are frequently seen as bossy. We must identify and break down these barriers to ensure everyone gets a fair shot.

 

Work-Life Balance:

Balancing work and personal life is a big challenge. Employers can help by offering flexible hours, parental leave, and remote work options to make it easier for women to manage both. DLRC is exceptional at this and has people in the organisation who would likely not contribute meaningfully to regulatory affairs without the flexibility offered.

 

Access to Opportunities:

Women often miss out on high-profile assignments that are key for career growth. Companies can help by providing women with more visible and impactful opportunities. For example, at DLRC, we find good projects aligned with development expectations for women returning from maternity leave, giving them valuable assignments instead of tasks others don’t want.

 

Imposter Syndrome:

Many women doubt their achievements and feel they don’t belong in leadership roles. Mentorship and support can boost confidence and help women overcome these feelings.

 

How can we encourage more girls to pursue careers in STEM fields?

Role Models and Mentors

As mentioned above, connect girls with successful women in STEM. Seeing these role models can be really inspiring and can help girls see that anyone can be great at STEM. Share stories of amazing women who have made big contributions to science.

 

Parental and Teacher Support

Encourage parents and teachers to support girls’ interests in STEM from an early age. Positive reinforcement and encouragement can make a big difference. This is so important; for example, having a parent passionate about their science career (particularly if it is the mum) can make a big impact. I’ve seen this with my daughter – she loves science and wants a scientific career.</p>

 

Real-World Applications

Through career fairs/workshops and science fairs where girls can do fun, hands-on STEM activities, show girls how STEM careers can solve real-world problems. For example, explain how doctors save lives or environmental scientists protect our planet. Seeing science in action can change how they think about STEM and make it more exciting and relevant for them and what they care about.

 

Designing and Building Infrastructure to Meet the Needs of Women and Girls

It’s crucial to recognise that infrastructure isn’t just about roads and buildings. It’s also about the policies, systems, and workplace environments supporting women’s success. At DLRC, we are proud of what we already have in place to drive meaningful change:

 

Flexible work

Flexibility is one of DLRC’s values, and we are proud of how we approach flexible working. DLRC recognises that traditional 9-to-5 structures don’t work for everyone. Our flexible working policies include hybrid and remote options and adjustable start and finish times to help employees manage their work alongside personal responsibilities. Whether it’s balancing childcare, managing health conditions like menopause or menstrual health, or simply having greater autonomy over work-life balance, we ensure flexibility is built into our culture—not just a perk but a necessity.

 

Support for Women’s Health

Women’s health should never be an obstacle to career progression. Our menstrual health and menopause policies, alongside our flexible working policy, provide support through access to healthcare resources and open conversations to break down stigma.  We actively promote women’s health awareness through lunch and learn sessions in collaboration with women’s charities and organisations. Over the past 18 months, we have hosted sessions on endometriosis, the five gynaecological cancers, domestic abuse, PCOS, ending pregnancy due to foetal abnormality, and postpartum psychosis, providing valuable education and support for our employees.

 

A Safe & Inclusive Workplace

Our domestic abuse policy provides confidential support, paid leave, and workplace adjustments for employees affected by domestic violence. We offer access to professional counselling and workplace safety planning to ensure those experiencing abuse can seek help without risking their careers or well-being. Additionally, our zero-tolerance stance on harassment ensures that all employees feel safe, valued, and respected.

 

Education and Training

We asked Molly Lapworth, a senior regulatory executive who has been with DLRC for 5 years, about her views and experiences throughout her educational career. Molly first joined DLRC in 2019. She then went on to undertake and complete her TOPRA Regulatory Affairs Specialist Apprenticeship with distinction. Molly is now undertaking her Master’s in Regulatory Affairs.

 

Can you share your personal educational journey and how it led you to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry? What were some key moments that influenced your decision to enter this field?

Throughout school and sixth form, I always loved science (mainly chemistry and biology). So, I went on to do an integrated master’s degree in chemistry at the University of Nottingham. During this time, I took many bio-chem and med-chem modules, as this really interested me. I graduated in 2019, knowing that a lab-based career wasn’t for me, but I wanted a job still in science—regulatory seemed the perfect fit!

 

How has your educational background influenced your perspective on designing workplaces that support the specific needs of women and girls in the pharmaceutical industry?

During school and sixth form, I had a chemistry teacher, a woman, who pushed me to reach my potential and advised me on what opportunities were out there for me as a woman in science. This certainly influenced me to go to university to study chemistry. No one in my family had ever been to university which was quite common in the area I came from!

I joined DLRC in 2019 as part of their graduate enrolment (with no regulatory experience). After being at DLRC for a year, I was given the opportunity to enrol in a regulatory apprenticeship and a parallel master’s degree via the organisation for regulatory (TOPRA). During this, I’ve been able to fast-track my regulatory knowledge and gain a broader understanding of the different areas of regulatory. By working at a consultancy, I’ve also had the opportunity to work on many different projects with different clients! Through this line of work I really do get to impact patients’ lives. Currently, I’m supporting a client with a Biologics Licenses Application to bring a rare disease drug to the US market!

 

Throughout your educational journey, did you have any role models who emphasised the importance of designing inclusive environments for women in science and industry?

Looking at things now…working for DLRC, a company founded by a woman, Dianne Lee, the environment in which we work is very supportive of women. It provides women with great opportunities in this field, which is very important to me as I develop my career. Through working at DLRC, I’ve been surrounded by many successful and knowledgeable women who have motivated my development.

 

Accelerating Action in the Pharmaceutical Sector

Women remain underrepresented in medical research, causing their health issues to be historically overlooked. Modern regulations now promote more inclusive research and drug development. These changes help close the ‘gender health gap’ with more representative population studies. As a regulatory consultancy, DLRC proudly supports clients, delivering therapies that overcome these challenges. Our team works with several clients on women’s health projects, including fertility and reproductive health. Science and integrity lead all our regulatory projects. This approach contributes to advancing healthcare quality for women and girls.

DLRC takes pride in taking steps to accelerate action. Supportive workplace policies create inclusive environments throughout our organisation. Across the industry, awareness of women’s health issues has become our priority. Professional growth for women flourishes within our company and beyond. Client partnerships remain vital in delivering therapies that help bridge the gender health gap.

 

Regulatory Excellence through Inclusive Leadership

Our gender-diverse team powers DLRC’s regulatory affairs expertise across the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. With 80+ specialists in the UK, Germany, and the US, we provide strategic regulatory guidance that drives results.

Whether developing women’s health products or treatments for broader populations, our consultants deliver comprehensive support from early development through post-licensing. Our inclusive approach helps clients navigate complex regulations more effectively, bringing innovative products to market faster.

Contact DLRC today to discuss how our award-winning regulatory affairs team can accelerate your product’s journey to patients. Email our team at hello@dlrcgroup.com or use the links below.