2024 impact report
Dear Women in Chemicals Community,
As we approach the close of 2024, we reflect with immense gratitude and pride on a year of growth, empowerment, and connection within the global chemical industry. Together, we’ve built a stronger, more inclusive community of 4,700+ members, and we’re excited to share the highlights of what we’ve accomplished this year.
Gratitude and Commitment
Thank you for being an integral part of our mission. Your contributions, advocacy, and belief in the potential of every woman in the chemical industry fuel our efforts and make this work possible. Your continued support is vital to realizing these goals. Whether through sponsorship, advocacy, or active participation, your contributions empower us to inspire change, build connections, and create professional development opportunities for women in the chemical industry.
Thank you for being an essential part of our journey. Together, we can achieve a more inclusive, innovative, and equitable future.
With gratitude,
Amelia Greene
Executive Director
Women in Chemicals
Our 2024 Impact at a Glance
This year, your support enabled us to reach new heights:
Record Engagement in Legacy Programs:
Over 4,200 participants joined our signature virtual programs, including Generation Female webinars and Woman of the Week Live interviews, empowering their personal and professional journeys.
Global Reach:
We extended our impact across six continents with in-person events in North America, Europe, and Latin America, creating a truly global community.
Mentorship Milestones:
Matched 55 mentor-mentee pairs in our Pilot and Inaugural Mentorship Program Cohorts, fostering growth, confidence, and career advancement.
Sold-Out Conference:
Hosted 370 women at our first Women in Chemicals Conference in Houston, TX, a three-day event filled with development, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
Trailblazing Recognition:
Honored Tauseef Salma, Chief Technology Officer – Clean Air at Johnson Matthey, as our 2024 Woman of the Year, celebrating her pioneering contributions.
Inspiring the Next Generation:
Reached over 200 students through our Careers in Chemicals program at institutions like the University of North Carolina and Villanova University.
Welcoming New Leadership:
Hired our first full-time Executive Director, Amber Thichangthong, who will begin her role in January 2025.
challenges and opportunities
While 2024 was a year of tremendous growth, it also illuminated critical areas that demand focus and innovation:
Sustaining Global Engagement:
As our membership expands across six continents, ensuring meaningful and consistent engagement across diverse time zones, cultures, and professional landscapes has become increasingly complex. Balancing localized relevance with global connectivity remains a priority.
Managing Program Scalability:
The increasing demand for Women in Chemicals programs, such as mentorship cohorts and virtual events, has presented challenges in maintaining quality while scaling operations. Ensuring that each member has access to impactful resources without overextending organizational capacity requires careful planning and resource allocation.
Addressing Operational and Compliance Needs:
Our growth has necessitated a more robust operational framework, including compliance measures to meet the varying legal and regulatory requirements of a global organization. This evolution is essential for sustaining credibility and maximizing impact.
To tackle these, we’re prioritizing proactive planning, cross-functional collaboration, and leveraging international partnerships to enhance geographic diversity.
strategic goals for 2025
Looking ahead, we are setting bold aspirations to continue our upward trajectory:
Expand Global Outreach:
Through the Global Ambassador Program and multilingual programming, we aim to build an even more inclusive community.
Optimize Financial Processes:
Enhanced controls and documentation will ensure our operations remain robust and scalable.
Enhance Conference Value:
With a target of 400 attendees and $400,000 in sponsorships, we plan to expand offerings, including virtual content and diverse networking opportunities.
Grow Mentorship:
Launch Cohort 2, refine the application process, and explore initiatives to transition mentees into future mentors.
Amplify Educational Offerings:
Increase frequency of career events, enhance the Careers in Chemicals platform with job boards and resume drops, and develop a global book club.
Celebrating the Champions behind our mission
Our remarkable progress in 2024 would not have been possible without the dedication, passion, and support of the individuals and organizations who fuel our mission every day.
Volunteer Leadership Team:
A heartfelt thank-you to our growing 17-person volunteer leadership team. Your commitment and vision are the foundation of Women in Chemicals' success.
advisory boards:
We deeply appreciate our 12 current board members for their guidance and expertise and are thrilled to welcome six new members in 2025. Together, you are steering our organization toward a brighter, more inclusive future.
Committee Members:
Your tireless efforts across our Mentorship, Programs, and Membership Committees have been instrumental in delivering impactful initiatives that resonate with our global community.
Corporate Sponsors:
A special thank-you to our 17 corporate sponsors for your unwavering support. Your partnership empowers us to fulfill our mission by allowing us to continue providing free resources to women in the chemical industry globally - amplifying our reach, scaling our programs, and creating lasting change within the chemical industry.
To each of you, your contributions inspire and enable progress, helping us forge a path toward equity, innovation, and opportunity. We are profoundly grateful for your partnership and look forward to achieving even greater milestones together in 2025.
Addressing Industry Challenges
We know there’s still work to be done. Data from this year’s Women in Chemicals Membership survey revealed persistent barriers:
48.1%
of respondents were the only woman in the room in a group of 4 or more during key meetings within the last week, changing only marginally from our 2023 result of 48.2%.
74.4%
reported a lack of equitable benefits, including maternity leave and childcare support. This has improved from the 76.4% found in 2023. However, 9.8% still work in companies that do not provide any maternity leave.
57.9%
of companies reported fewer than 25% women in leadership roles, showcasing leadership representation remains a hurdle. This has significantly improved from our 2023 result of 72.5% of women in 2023 who worked in companies reporting fewer than 25% women represented in leadership.
These statistics underscore the need for continued, collective action. By addressing these challenges head-on, we can create a more inclusive and equitable industry for all.
How you can help
Here’s how you can make a difference:
Assess and Share:
Measure your organization’s progress against our benchmarks and let us know your results.
Commit to Change:
Set tangible goals for 2025 and communicate them to our team at amelia@womeninchemicals.com.
Advocate:
Sponsor your female employees, connect us with your internal ERG, provide growth opportunities, and foster environments where women feel heard and valued.
women in chemicals
Women in Chemicals is a global community of female identifying individuals and allies with a mission to create and identify opportunities to empower women in the chemical industry. Our constantly growing membership base spans the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. We facilitate professional and personal connection and development through our programs to drive visibility, career trajectory, and female empowerment in our industry.
