Published: 06 March 2024
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Norway faces a troubling paradox, ranking second in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap report, meaning we are 87.9 % done in closing the gender gap in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. Yet, industry statistics reveal stark disparities. In Norway's 200 largest companies, 84.5% of the CEOs and 87% of the chairpersons are male, despite certain mandates to turn this statistic.
“It is likely a mix of entrenched cultural norms and unconscious bias, the glass ceiling phenomenon, and fewer female role models, that drive continued corporate inequalities. This emphasizes the need for approaches that address cultural shifts, diversity promotion, mentorship, and unconscious bias,” says Chelsea Ranger, Founder & Chairwoman of WiLD Norway.
Ranger is a familiar figure in the life science community, as she, among other things, leads Investor Relations & Business Development for The Life Science Cluster and has been a longtime Project Coordinator in SPARK Norway, both residents of Oslo Science Park. She is also a newly appointed Startup Coach at the Life Science Academy for Startups.
WiLD Norway is a professional network aimed at fostering equal opportunities for women and empowering women to realize their full potential within the health and life science industry, academia, and healthcare career settings. The network will provide tailored mentorship programs and dedicated board training for female leaders and will host a series of events strengthening professional exchange across the health and life science ecosystem.
“This initiative is my passion project and higher calling. I am immensely proud to collaborate with our dedicated board members and sponsors. I feel honored to support my female peers in the health and life sciences ecosystem,” says Ranger.
Board: Chelsea Ranger, Cathy Capdeville, Charlotte Berg-Svendsen, Ole Dahlberg, Gunnveig Grødeland, Agnete Fredriksen, Morten Egeberg, Spiros Kotopoulis
Sponsors and supporters: NHO Geneo, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Novartis Norge, Nykode Therapeutics, Melanor, Sands Advokatfirma, Legemiddelindustrien (LMI), Gjessing Reimers, Sarsia, Forskningsparken
WiLD Norway builds upon the success of Women in Life Science Denmark (WiLD), founded by Lene Gerlach, Partner at EIR Ventures and WiLD Chairperson, and supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and The Lundbeck Foundation.
“Our goal is to create a professional network that addresses a range of topics, not just diversity issues. We want to bring forward female role models and be an active part in employing more women in the life sciences,” says Lene Gerlach.
“I have always lived by the belief that the generation before us raised their ceiling as high as they could, and where their ceiling ended, our floor began. I feel such admiration and gratitude towards the women who paved the way before us, and I firmly believe that we, as women today, have a responsibility to raise our ceiling for the generations that follow. That is why our tagline resonates deeply with me: 'Because every ceiling reached is a new floor.' We persevere, we innovate, and we strive for change wherever it is needed. There is no other way forward,” Ranger concludes.
To learn more, visit Women in Life Science Norway’s LinkedIn page and Webpage.
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