Our purpose
The BMA network of elected women (NEW) is a group of BMA elected women members who will champion and strengthen female leadership and advance diversity for the benefit of our Association.
We recognise that the collaboration of different voices at all levels and from all backgrounds is key to unlocking our collective potential.
We launched our first meeting at our 2020 Annual Representative meeting.
Helena McKeown, chair of representative body introduced the NEW group, setting out what the group aims to achieve.
What we do
Our aim is to:
- focus on inspiring continuous personal and professional development of our elected women members
- support members to develop the skills and confidence needed to become effective medico-political leaders, committee representatives and ambassadors for the BMA’s work on gender equality
- hold networking events
- act as a hub where we listen to each other and engage with our membership, colleagues and partners in a common endeavour
- team with partner organisations that share our vision and connect with the wider community.
Considering working due to COVID-19, NEW will be a virtual forum.
A parallel and informal group of male allies will be established. They will advocate for greater gender equality at the BMA and will encourage their peers who are women to connect with NEW.
Who can join the network of elected women?
Membership of NEW is open to any women BMA members who hold elected or appointed positions on BMA committees and regional structures, and those elected or appointed to attend BMA conferences.
Events
Inspiring the female GP leaders of tomorrow
On March 25th, the BMA held a successful webinar chaired by Dr Samira Anane (GPC Education, training & workforce policy lead). More than 250 guests logged on to hear the panel of eminent female doctors and leaders in primary care talk about their personal leadership journeys and share their tips and advice.
Fixing the gender pay gap in medicine
Following on from the publication of the Mend the Gap: The Independent Review into the Gender Pay Gaps in Medicine England, and in collaboration with Medical Women’s Federation, in January 2021 the BMA hosted a virtual event to discuss actions that must be taken to close the gender pay gap in medicine.
Read BMA’s response to the review along with a full briefing on its findings.
A guide to pensions
This knowledge sharing session was organised in collaboration with the BMA’s network of elected women and BMA pensions committee. The event was held in January 2021 and covered having a pension scheme at different stages of a woman’s working life starting from FY1 to pre-retirement planning and receipt of a pension. The session also explored covering periods of maternity leave and less than full time working.
Menopause in the workplace
Following the publication of the Challenging the culture on menopause for working doctors report by the BMA, the BMA’s network of elected women hosted an online event in November 2020, which explored the issues in the report in more detail, as well as help attendees mobilise on how to make changes on this in their own workplaces.
Contact us
Email the BMA’s corporate equality, diversity and inclusion team on [email protected], to find out more about the group or to express an interest in joining.
- BMA supporting materials BMA valuing difference programme
- BMA leadership programmes
- Committee visitors scheme
- Committee mentoring programme
- News stories Gender inequality: call to focus on listening
- Menopause needs more than a mention
- Gender inequality: call to focus on listening
- BMJ - A network for elected women: five minutes with . . . Helena McKeown