Event participants cite progress on gender diversity even while rueing slow pace of change
Participants in an online panel said the natural products industry is making progress in addressing harassment and gender equality questions. But much more remains to be done.
Outright incidents of sexual harassment seem to have declined within the supplement industry and progress on gender equality has been made. But participants of a recent online event said more needs to be done.
The event, titled Identifying the Elephant in the Room, was hosted by New York-based firm Pitch Publicity, headed by Amy Summers. It was the first installment of a multi-part series, the second portion of which is scheduled to air on Thursday.
Wide ranging panel
Rick Polito, editor of Nutrition Business Journal, moderated the event, which included as panelists Sandy Almendarez, Informa Markets' vice president of content for SupplySide, Karen Howard, CEO of the Organic and Natural Health Association, Danielle Masterson, Deputy Editor of NutraIngredients-USA and Crystal Webber, CEO of Niche Nutrition.
The event comes on the heels of Informa’s Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim. This show has grown to be the largest of its type in the natural and organic food space and so has become something of a bellwether for many topics in the industry. Several callouts of harassment at last year’s show led to institutional adjustments that Howard said seem to have created positive change. She said she heard of no similar incidents at this year’s show.
The participants of the event were in broad agreement that the situation is getting better for women with respect to freedom from harassment as well as representation of women in higher level positions. But much more still needs to be done, they also agreed.
More representation on boards
“I like to joke that you just look for guys in blue blazers and khaki pants and with gray hair and that’s where you’ll find the industry,” Polito joked.
“I see more women participating in board representation in dietary supplement associations and I think that’s a real positive. So I think things are improving in that regard,” Howard said.
Howard said when she began her lobbying work in Washington, D.C. more than 40 years ago (with more than 20 years in the natural products space), she felt isolated. Fortunately, younger women have more options, like the group Women in Nutraceuticals, of which Howard is a board member.