Pharmacy Forum NI is pleased to announce the second in our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) 2021 webinar series is taking place on Tuesday 27 July 2021 following initial postponement.

The webinar will focus on the theme of Gender & Equality of Opportunity and will be of interest to the NI pharmacy profession, pharmacy employers, pharmacy representative bodies and key stakeholders.

We have an excellent panel of speakers and sessions lined up for this event. Speakers will cover a range of areas including career progression for women and the importance of role models; flexible working in community pharmacy based on recommendations identified in the Pharmacy Workforce Review 2020; and how women can support each other and cultivate good leadership.

Our EDI partner, the Equality Commission NI, will update participants on relevant equality laws related to gender & employment. Transgender NI will also be represented.

Background

Marking 1 March 2021, Zero Discrimination Day, Pharmacy Forum NI launched a new initiative aimed at advancing, encouraging and supporting Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) in the Northern Ireland pharmacy workplace.

As part of its EDI activity, the Forum is organising throughout 2021 a 3-part EDI CPD webinar series – Diversity & Inclusion in NI Pharmacy – Creating the right Culture. The first of these took place on 23 March on the case for inclusion and handling race, with almost 70 participants and 98% indicating in the event poll that they found it of excellent or very good value.

The webinar series is set up to promote a culture of diversity and inclusion within the NI pharmacy profession that aims to cultivate a safe and inclusive workplace environment; keeps us in step with our increasingly diversified workforce and population; and supports current and future workforce needs.

The Forum’s EDI initiative was prompted in summer 2020 by reports of racism in NI pharmacy. Since then, the Forum has set up a new EDI Working Group (WG), set up a new online resource hub highlighting PASS support available for anyone facing discrimination, harassment or bullying, and among other activity, we are continuing to work on the roll-out of the 2021 webinar series.