Organon Declares Paid Time Off for All Employees on International Women’s Day; over 1000 Employees Across Asia Pacific Encouraged to Focus on Their Own Health in Recognition of Growing Women’s Health Inequity
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on women, Organon issues a call to action for other leaders to create opportunities to focus on women’s health
INVC NEWS
New Delhi
Organon, a global women’s health company, is designating International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 as a day to recognize the growing health disparities women face that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since its inception, IWD has focused on accelerating gender parity. Organon recognizes the need for a global effort to address her health and is starting with its own employees by providing paid time off this year for all employees, including the 1,000 strong team across the Asia Pacific region, to attend to their own health needs. The company invites organizations across the region to join in raising awareness of the inequity in women’s health and to adopt initiatives that help women prioritize their health.
Women have worked hard to advance in the workplace, but the pandemic is unraveling these hard-fought gains. Women are now significantly more burned out than ever, even more than men[i]— which can take a huge toll on their physical and mental health. Even before the pandemic, in a 2015 survey, 78% of women said they usually put their own healthcare needs, such as scheduling doctor’s appointments aside, to focusing on taking care of their family and other priorities. [ii]
Anjan Sen, Commercial Lead for South Asia Region at Organon stated, “The world changed rapidly with COVID-19. Work from home, online schooling, and the disease itself impacted every one of us adversely. The ‘stay at home’ lifestyle has added responsibilities for women. Today, they spend additional hours on their household responsibilities and childcare, constantly juggling between professional and personal responsibilities. The health of women always takes a backseat between competing priorities. On International Women’s Day, we endeavor to recognize women for their effort and unconditional dedication and commemorate their achievements which usually go unnoticed. By providing time to all employees with a specific focus, we hope to further our vision of a better and healthier every day for every woman”.
Organon at its core believes that healthy women are the backbone of a thriving, stable, and resilient society and when she is healthy, she prospers and so does her community and her society, for generations to come. Yet, a recent study found that 44% of older women said they waited until a health symptom became urgent before scheduling an appointment – and that number jumps to 62% for women aged 20-34[iii]Organon is hoping to improve women’s health-seeking behavior and that is why are collaborating with organizations to raise awareness of the inequity in women’s health and be part of the solution. For more information, you can visit hereforherhealth.com/make-time and share your perspectives on how we can use International Women’s Day to help prioritize Her Health.”
