Standards have a broad impact across society and tend to have a foundat ion in STEM fields, which often include an underrepresentation of women. ANSI has recognized the opportunity to expand programing to address gender-based issues, such as representation in policymaking and technical work that leads to the development of gender responsive standards and regulations.
Standards Alliance: Phase 2 pursues an inclusive approach to foster equality by working to ensure gender representation during events and in speaking roles while also including gender-specific programing for women.
In particular, the SA2 COVID-19 Medical Device Regulatory Convergence project (MDRC) focuses on reducing barriers to countries' importation of U.S. medical devices that aid in the fight against COVID-19. Women in outreach,
implementation, and leadership roles have helped support access to essential medical resources. MDRC is a partnership between ANSI and USAID, and spearheaded by the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed).
Women who support and lead elements of the SA2 project are invaluable in the fight against the pandemic.