A couple of days ago, I attended the FemHealth Integrates event in Manchester – which was excellent. 

I’ve always found it strange that over the last few years the clinical trials industry has been placing such a focus on ethnic diversity and inclusion of people from underrepresented backgrounds, when we’re not even at a stage yet where people who make up 50-51% of the population are represented anywhere near proportionally in trial participation. 

The topics covered by the speakers ranged from addressing this disparity, to such things as underlining how female physiology is different from males – and so women should not simply be viewed as ‘smaller men’ – and how women can be encouraged to both invest and set up new companies in this sector. 

The networking opportunities were as good as the information being shared, and I came away from the event with a good sense of how my local area in particular – the North West of England – is tackling the issues raised.