Originally published at jnj.com. Johnson & Johnson is a Hall of Fame company.
1908. That’s the year Johnson & Johnson hired its first female scientist — no small feat during an era in which fewer than 3% of women attended college.
Then again, this is hardly surprising for a company whose first 14 employees included eight women — and whose workforce today is nearly 50% female. In fact, Johnson & Johnson’s diversity and inclusion programs led to its placement in Fair360, formerly DiversityInc’s Hall of Fame in 2021.
In honor of International Women’s Day, take a look at a few important ways Johnson & Johnson has worked to advance and celebrate women both inside and outside the company for over a century.
Elevating Female Employees
- 8 of Johnson & Johnson’s 14 founding employees were women
- 53% of new hires in 2020 were women
- 46% of management positions around the world at Johnson & Johnson are held by women
Encouraging the Next Generation of Women in Science
- 24 women were sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Scholars Award Program, which aims to fuel the development of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design (WiSTEM2D)
- 6 million girls ages 5 to 18 have been reached worldwide by WiSTEM2D through programs and partnerships with nonprofits, including the Smithsonian Science Education Center and Girl Scouts of the USA
Improving Women’s Health Around the World
- Over 1,000 women will be enrolled in studies of how two Johnson & Johnson-supported tech platforms might help reduce Black maternal mortality in the U.S., where Black women are 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women
- Over 4 million mothers reached by MomConnect, a flagship program of the South African National Department of Health supported by Johnson & Johnson, with vital information on health, nutrition and postnatal care
Championing Women in the Workforce
- Over 100 people have been hired by Johnson & Johnson globally through its Re-Ignite program, which provides paid opportunities for people ready to return to work after a career break of two years or longer. The program started in 2017 to bring women in STEM back to the workforce, and women make up a large portion of the program, which is now gender-inclusive
- Johnson & Johnson spends a minimum of $1 billion annually with certified women-, disability-, LGBT-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses
