Johnson and Johnson

​As International Women’s Day encourages us to #PressforProgress, we take a look at how the company's innovations and initiatives have helped press for women's progress since its founding.Since 1911, International Women's Day has been a moment to celebrate how far we've come in advancing women's rights—and a reminder of what we have yet to accomplish.At Johnson & Johnson, supporting and igniting the power of women has been a top priority since its founding in 1886. When the company opened its doors, eight out of the first 14 employees were women, and by 1908, the company had eight female department supervisors—a rarity for that time, says Margaret Gurowitz, Chief Historian, Johnson & Johnson.Today, the company continues to innovate with diversity and inclusion programs—helping it garner the #2 spot on the latest Thomson Reuters Diversity & Inclusion Index.And this progressive approach doesn't just stay within company walls.We take a look at the many ways Johnson & Johnson has empowered women all over the world with its pioneering innovations over the past 130 years.1890sEmpowering Women ... During ChildbirthIn the late 19th and early 20th centuries, expectant moms were responsible for gathering the clinical supplies needed for delivering at home, where most births took place.To help reduce high rates of maternal and infant mortality during delivery, Johnson & Johnson teamed up with notable obstetricians to create Dr. Simpson’s Maternity Packet, a first-of-its-kind, mass-produced maternity kit designed to help prevent infections and ensure safe deliveries.The kit—which was likely named after Dr. James Young Simpson, a pioneering Scottish obstetrician—contained such items as sterile sutures, an obstetric sheet and ligatures, antiseptic soap and flannel for wrapping the baby.1897Empowering Women ... By Selling the First Mass-Produced Sanitary NapkinsBefore Johnson & Johnson began manufacturing Lister's Towels—the world’s first mass-produced, disposable, gauze-covered cotton pad—common forms of menstrual protection ranged from rags to rabbit skins—all of which provided poor protection and were dangerously unsanitary.The idea was actually born from Johnson & Johnson's maternity kits. Dr. Joseph Brown Cooke, a surgeon at the New York Maternity Hospital in the late 1800s, worked with Johnson & Johnson to launch a comprehensive maternity kit packed with sanitary napkins—and women then encouraged the company to sell the pads separately.1902Empowering Women ... By Arming Them with Maternal Health InformationNo doula coaches, no What to Expect When You're Expecting, no pregnancy apps. At the turn of the 20th century, expectant moms didn't have a way to get trustworthy guidance on pregnancy and childbirth—until Johnson & Johnson debuted the Hygiene in Maternity manual.The 4-by-6-inch manual, which was available at local drugstores, was designed to fit into a woman's pocket or purse. Its pages featured advice on everything from how to calculate a delivery date to how to prepare for labor, says Gurowitz. The book was also surprisingly modern for its time: It offered advice on keeping Mom healthy during pregnancy, including encouraging moderate exercise.1904Empowering Women ... By Inventing Disposable DiapersBy 1900, women were beginning to enter the workforce in greater numbers—a trend that would continue throughout the 20th century due to shifting gender roles and the need for a larger labor force during World Wars I and II.To help the growing number of hardworking mothers who didn’t have time to scrub tough-to-clean cloth diapers, Johnson & Johnson invented the world’s first disposable variety, Lister’s Sanitary Diapers, which were made from several layers of absorbent cotton, cellulose sheets and gauze.Named after Sir Joseph Lister, who pioneered sterile surgery, the diapers were sterilized to help ward off disease at a time when 100 out of every 1,000 infants didn't make it to their first birthday.1931Empowering Women ... By Pioneering Family PlanningJust two years after the legendary stock market crash of 1929 and while a devastating drought was sweeping through the Great Plains, Johnson & Johnson introduced Ortho-Gynol®, the first prescription contraceptive gel in the world designed to help women take charge of family planning."Before the advent of hormonal birth control, women seeking contraception had to rely on cervical caps and condoms," explains Gurowitz. "So the introduction of Ortho-Gynol was a huge leap forward."1971Empowering Women ... By Inventing (Finally!) Comfortable Period ProtectionBy 1971, thanks to a wave of feminism that was pushing for equal treatment in athletics (Title IX would pass in 1972), more women were turning to exercise—but traditional sanitary protection couldn’t keep up.Always one step ahead of the times, Johnson & Johnson introduced yet another cutting-edge feminine hygiene product in Stayfree® Mini and Maxi Pads, which were some of the first sanitary products that didn’t require belts, hooks or special garments. The pads featured an adhesive strip that kept them in place in standard underwear and offered less-bulky protection that could stand up to a lot more movement.1984Empowering Women ... By Creating a Faster, More Accurate Pregnancy TestWhen at-home pregnancy tests first arrived on the market in the 1970s, women had to wait up to two stressful hours for the results. That is, until 1984, when Johnson & Johnson debuted the Advance Home Pregnancy Test, which was 99% accurate—and cut the wait time to just 30 minutes.Best of all, women knew, without question, if they were pregnant because the test's first-of-its-kind Colorstick technology turned unmistakably blue for positive results.1985Empowering Women ... By Inventing an At-Home Ovulation TestWhile birth control had become legally available to all U.S. women following the 1972 Eisenstadt v. Baird Supreme Court case ruling, the science behind ovulation and conception lagged behind and women had to rely on monitoring their physical signs and symptoms.In 1985, women finally had a more scientific option when Johnson & Johnson's Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation released the Ovutime Ovulation Test, which included six days of tests that could predict ovulation up to 36 hours in advance.The kit was available over the counter, allowing women to test for ovulation in the privacy of their own homes rather than having to visit their doctor.It helped with family planning and was a vital tool at a time when educational campaigns were stressing the importance of getting enough folic acid in early pregnancy and warning of the risks of alcohol consumption.2010Empowering Women ... Through the Power of Digital TechnologySince 2010, Johnson & Johnson has helped give expectant women living in underserved communities access to vital health information about pregnancy, labor and infant care through such mobile messaging programs as mMitra in India and MomConnect in South Africa.mMitra targets low-income women in urban Indian communities, where rates of death from pregnancy complications and early childhood disease are high. Through mMitra, women receive voice calls twice a week, in their chosen language, that provide preventative care information tailored to their stage of pregnancy or the developmental stage of their child. To date, the program has reached more than 1 million mothers in India.MomConnect, which is available via SMS or WhatsApp, is a stage-based, twice-weekly text-messaging service for new and expectant moms that also enables them to text back with questions or feedback on the quality of care they've received. More than 1.8 million women have received MomConnect messages, and the program has expanded to nurses and midwives, too.2016Empowering Women ... To Take Care of Themselves, TooWhether you're pregnant or up in the wee hours of the morning tackling newborn feeding, it goes without saying that motherhood can be both a joyous and stressful time in life. To help women with these challenging moments, Johnson & Johnson unveiled the 7 Minute Wellness for Expecting and New Moms™ App, a science-based wellness resource created by the company's behavioral, exercise and medical experts.The app helps moms manage and expand their energy levels through guided meditation sessions and quick, easy exercises—empowering them to be their best selves both mentally and physically.2016-2017Empowering Women ... To Succeed in STEMIn 2016, Johnson & Johnson launched 10 worldwide partnerships to help drive the number of undergraduate women enrolling in and declaring majors in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, manufacturing and design, which it dubbed WiSTEM2D."When women and girls fall off these career tracks, we are all robbed of potential innovators and leaders," says Meri Stevens, Vice President, Strategy & Deployment, Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain. "At Johnson & Johnson, we are taking concrete steps to help girls of all ages stay on the STEM track."These partnerships are part of a companywide commitment to harnessing the power of diversity to improve health for humanity. Partnerships like one with FHI 360 and Junior Achievement, which provides out-of-school STEM programs for girls between the ages of 5 and 18.On the heels of WiSTEM2D, Johnson & Johnson also introduced the Women in STEM2D Scholars Program in 2017, which helps support up-and-coming women working in these fields by providing monetary awards and mentorship at that critical time in their research careers between completing an advanced degree and becoming tenured at a university or institution.The original article was published here.

​One way we can all help improve the trajectory of health for humanity? Bridge the gender gap so more women can shine, innovate and put their mark on the world. Women like these Johnson & Johnson movers and shakers.The phrases “work/life balance” and “gender equality” tend to get tossed around a lot these days—and for many women, they can often feel like insurmountable goals.Which is where these admirable women come in.From launching an online support forum for new parents to spearheading a national symposium aimed at advancing female surgeons in the U.S., these Johnson & Johnson women are at the helm of building a more inclusive and work/life-balanced world through visionary programs they've helped bring to life.In homage to this year's International Women's Day theme, #BalanceforBetter, we share their inspiring stories.“I created a J&J Families forum to support parents and parents-to-be” - Alison Whitmore, Associate Customer Development Manager, Johnson & Johnson Consumer ProductsWhen Alison Whitmore found out she was pregnant with her first child in 2011, she had a ton of questions—including how to tell her boss she’d be going on maternity leave—but she didn’t feel comfortable having such personal conversations with her co-workers.“I was feeling a little alone and thought: Wouldn’t it be great if there was some kind of forum—a private place where I could get my questions answered by other Johnson & Johnson employees navigating this same work culture and who have access to the same benefits? ” she recalls.Whitmore with Alex and AnnabelThree years after her daughter, Annabel, was born, Whitmore gave birth to her son, Alex, and around this time the company implemented an extended maternity and paternity leave. “It’s an amazing benefit, but I had a lot of questions about how people were using it,” she says. Once again, she found herself wishing there was a resource in place.So she decided to create it herself.Whitmore began networking within the company and through the Johnson & Johnson Women’s Leadership & Inclusion (WLI) Employee Resource Group, she was eventually put in touch with colleagues at BabyCenter®, a Johnson & Johnson company. "It is the forum for parents, so it made a lot of sense to us to create a private company group within BabyCenter,” she says.Several BabyCenter employees and WLI members—all moms who loved Whitmore’s idea—volunteered their time to help her create the J&J Families group, a private, anonymous forum for company employees who are trying to conceive or adopt, expecting, new to parenting or just interested in sharing or requesting tips from colleagues in the same life stage.Since launching in September 2018, it has become what Whitmore once dreamed of: a one-stop destination for everything from links to benefits information to an online community where you can get answers to all kinds of pregnancy and parenting questions.“We were very specific about calling it J&J Families, not J&J Moms, so we can also help dads managing paternity leave benefits and adjusting to life as working fathers,” Whitmore adds. “Johnson & Johnson is all about balance—not only work/life balance, but also treating male and female employees equally—so we really wanted to make sure everyone felt like this was a space that could support them through this big life transition.”“I launched 'Through ♥ (Love), We Act' to help attract diverse talent looking to return to the workforce in Japan” -Eunice Masako Quinn, Head of HR, Supply ChainIn her role, Eunice Masako Quinn faced a two-part challenge: improving employee engagement, while also innovating the way her divison retained and attracted talent—especially female talent.So Quinn launched an internal project called #Bringherback, which focused on offering flexible work arrangements to women who'd left the workforce and wanted to return.But she quickly realized that keeping the focus strictly on women was limiting—and not very inclusive. “Japan is an aging society, and more and more women and men are experiencing the pressure of balancing careers with taking care of elderly parents,” she says. “It’s something that’s traditionally expected of children.”To help create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels like they belong, Quinn decided to expand #Bringherback to include men, too, and renamed the initiative “Through ♥ (Love), We Act.”Through this program, the team tapped business sector representatives, employee resource groups, role models who were already leveraging the flexible work arrangements and the HR department to reach out to candidates who have been on leave or out of work for a while and are now wishing to return.“Some left their jobs to be mothers. Others left to try to build their own company," Quinn says. "At Johnson & Johnson, we see these candidates as untapped resources, and we are committed to taking a proactive approach to bring their talent back to us, helping us further develop our culture of inclusion.”“I co-created the Women in Surgery Symposium to help advance women in academic surgery” -Kate Masschelein, Worldwide President for Energy, Medical DevicesA few years ago, at the Association of Women Surgeons, Kate Masschelein met Anne C. Mosenthal, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and an idea was born.Dr. Mosenthal is one of just a handful of women who are female chairs of departments of surgery in the United States and Canada—and out of the approximately 160,000 surgeons in the U.S., a mere 19% are female."At Johnson & Johnson, we are fortunate to have many employee resource groups, like the WLI, to help employees advance in their careers," Masschelein says. “I shared with Dr. Mosenthal that through my work with WLI, it seemed that women in business and female surgeons had similar challenges in the workplace, and perhaps by partnering with WLI, there was an opportunity to help support young female surgeons, too. So we put our heads together and created the Women in Surgery Symposium."The first symposium in 2017 was dedicated to supporting female surgeons by providing a forum to discuss the challenges they face, as well as providing opportunities for mentorship."Leading through change" was the theme. “It was inspiring to see women from across the country and across different surgical specialties listening to each other talk about working their way up through the ranks, and how to set yourself up for promotion,” Masschelein says. Johnson & Johnson speakers joined the event, and WLI sponsor Sandra Humbles, VP for Global Education Solutions in Medical Devices, moderated one of the sessions.Masschelein with Dr. MosenthalIn fact, the symposium was so inspiring to all of the participants that Masschelein and Dr. Mosenthal decided to open it up to more participants in 2018—and nearly doubled the number of attendees.“One of the mentees stood up and shared how appreciative she was for the opportunity to see that she’s not alone—that her challenges are everyone’s challenges,” Masschelein says. “I still think of that moment and it inspires me because it speaks to the fact that, as women—no matter what field we’re in—we’re often faced with the same challenges. The more we see this as an opportunity to help each other, the better.”“I’m helping women in STEM return to the workforce through our Re-Ignite program” -Liz Markus, Director of the Re-Ignite Program, Johnson & JohnsonFor Liz Markus, directing Johnson & Johnson's Re-Ignite program—a cross-company effort to bring individuals back into careers in science, technology, engineering, math, manufacturing and design (STEM2D) after exiting the workforce—feels deeply personal."My husband is a stay-at-home dad, which means I haven’t had to take an extended break from my career,” she says. “But my sister is a stay-at-home mom who will want to go back to work. And after my mother got divorced, she had to go back to work after years of staying home. It’s a bold move to step out of the workforce, and we need to acknowledge that for those who do, it may have been a way to find more balance in their lives."Think of the program as a four-month "returnship" at Johnson & Johnson for experienced STEM2D female and male professionals, Markus explains, including mentoring from company leaders. Once those four months are up, participants have the opportunity to be offered full-time employment. “The Re-Ignite program is a way for Johnson & Johnson to act on—not just talk about—our goal of balance in the workplace.”Since the program's pilot in 2017, Re-Ignite has had five female returnees—all engineers who took career breaks varying in length from two to 14 years. “What I love about this program is that it allows people to make choices,” Markus says. “After all, life isn’t linear. Your career shouldn’t have to be, either.”“I helped launch a mentoring program in Singapore, so employees can pay it forward” -Seina Lee, PharmD, M.S., IBD DAS Commercial Strategy Lead, Immunology, Janssen Asia PacificTo celebrate International Women’s Day in 2018, Seina Lee led the charge on creating a cross-sector, cross-function mentoring program for Singapore-based employees."The objective of the six-month program is to foster professional growth of company talent through leadership, education and networking,” Lee says. “To be inclusive, our program caters to all employees—irrespective of gender—because empowerment requires a significant contribution not just from women, but also from male allies.”[Luly de Samper, head of Johnson & Johnson's Women’s Leadership & Inclusion initiative in Latin America] Meet a Woman Who’s on a Mission to Break Down Gender Barriers in Latin AmericaThis year, the program has enrolled more than 40 mentors and 50 mentees from diverse backgrounds and with different levels of experience. Each of the four committee members personally looks after eight to 10 mentor/mentee pairs to provide tips and advice.The hope: cultivate an environment of continuous learning and development for everyone in the program.Lee speaking at The United State of Women Summit in Washington, D.C., in 2016One mentor recently emailed Lee to share how fulfilling her role has been, and how much she has seen her mentee's confidence grow. "She told her mentee not to underestimate the impact her newfound leadership skills will have on others," Lee says.For Lee, it’s the epitome of a quote she loves: “Empowered women empower women.”“To me, strong women like my mom and fearless girls like my daughter inspire me to be awesome, do good and empower other women," she says. "I believe that when I enable others around me, they can make a positive influence beyond what I can do alone."The original article was published here.

​Johnson & Johnson is proud to have made the 2016 Working Mother 100 Best Companies list. From generous parental leave policies to coverage for special needs, here’s how we stand out from the corporate crowd.For the 31st year in a row, Working Mother magazine has named Johnson & Johnson to its list of 100 Best Companies—organizations that, as they put it, “[go] the extra mile to support working-mom employees and nurture their careers.”10 Women Share What It Means to Be a Working Mom at Johnson & JohnsonTruth is, Johnson & Johnson has been a (more than) equal employer of women since its founding in 1886, when eight of its 14 original staffers were women!Today, the company is proud to offer working moms such family-friendly benefits as 17 weeks of paid leave after giving birth, eight weeks of paid leave following the adoption of a new child, and insurance coverage for children with special needs.Check out this infographic to learn more about the many ways Johnson & Johnson supports working mothers—and even hear from the very moms who’ve benefitted from these company perks.The original article was published here.