This week is National Inclusion Week 2023, beginning on 25 September and ending on 1 October. The theme this year is Take Action Make Impact and centres around the idea that we are all trying to reach effective, positive and sustainable impact through inclusion action for all those we work with and for ourselves. The campaign also encourages employers to reflect on how to improve inclusion in the workplace.
The PDA has four EDI Networks that provide a structure through which pharmacists, pharmacy students and trainees can work together to proactively address and campaign around various forms of discrimination and its causes and consequences.
In January 2020, the National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP) started its 115th year of enabling all women pharmacists to realise their full potential and raise their profile by being educationally, socially, and politically active by becoming part of the PDA. NAWP became the first PDA EDI Network.
Ayah Abbass, NAWP President said, “Inclusion in the workplace is very important because it means that people can come to work feeling comfortable and confident in themselves. Everyone should feel valued and supported at work. Diversity and inclusion in the workplace can help people thrive at work and feel a sense of belonging. It’s important to feel supported and empowered at work. Listening to, respecting, and understanding your colleagues can help create a safe environment, and for employers, this can translate to greater productivity. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable and not isolated.”
In April 2020, the PDA launched three further networks: the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Pharmacists Network (BAME Network), the Disabled Pharmacists Network (Ability Network) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pharmacists Network (LGBT+ Network).
Nav Bhogal, a co-opted BAME committee member said, “Inclusion is not an option; it’s a necessity. It’s the key to unlocking the full potential of every individual, fostering a culture of collaboration, nurturing teamwork and driving organisational success.”
Vimal Boulton-Patel, a co-opted LGBT+ committee member said, “Inclusion is vital in the workplace, where diversity is recognised and celebrated. Regardless of background, disability, sexual orientation or personal beliefs, everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, thus promoting harmony within the workplace and providing a stable environment within which to thrive.”
Over the last 3 years, the networks have been busy hosting events, creating informative literature and lobbying, campaigning, and negotiating for equality in pharmacy, healthcare, and wider society.
The PDA encourages pharmacists to download the network flyers and share them with colleagues. All pharmacists, pharmacy students and trainees can join any of the networks, even if they are not PDA members.
Download the flyers here
Get involved
Learn more
- Join a PDA Member Network – EDI Flyer
- National Inclusion Week
- BAME Network
- NAWP
- LGBT+ Network
- Ability Network
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists, and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.