Despite making up over half of the workforce in the pharmaceutical industry, women hold only about 25% of executive-level positions. In the lead-up to International Women’s Day 2025, IPI Magazine spoke with Pooja Majmudar, Investment Partner at digital health VC firm KELES, to explore how ethical investment can dismantle structural barriers and drive genuine gender equality in pharma. 

Pooja’s message is clear: investors bear an ethical responsibility to champion women-led companies and diverse teams, ensuring equitable hiring, promotion, and pay policies are not just empty promises but concrete realities. 

What Metrics or Frameworks Do You Use to Assess the Impact of Ethical Investments on Gender Disparities? 

Ethical investment is not merely about avoiding harm but actively promoting positive change. It can play a crucial role in dismantling structural barriers that perpetuate gender inequality in the pharmaceutical industry, where these disparities are particularly acute, hindering progress and innovation. Any approach to tackling gender disparities must be underpinned by key metrics and robust frameworks to be effective and deliver lasting change.