Women at IOP Publishing (IOPP) was founded as an Employee Resource Group (ERG) to strengthen the support and empowerment of women in the workplace. With a strong female presence across the organisation, the group provides a safe space for discussion, advocacy, and action on issues that matter.

Helen Perry, Head of Talent and Employee Experience and Lauren Tisza Smith, HR Process and Improvement Specialist, co-chair the group and they share what the Women’s ERG means to them, why it matters, and their vision for the future.  

Why Women at IOPP matters

Helen: “When I joined IOPP, I felt strongly about getting involved in the Women’s ERG. As a woman in both business and HR, I am passionate about supporting other women who may have faced similar challenges, and I wanted to channel my enthusiasm into something meaningful. And now I’m even chairing the meetings!

Over time, my commitment to women’s rights has grown. Having a 17-year-old daughter has reinforced my passion for advocating for girls and women, making this work feel even more personal.”

Lauren: “It’s important that we create an environment where women’s voices are heard and open conversations about topics like menstruation and menopause are normalised. Addressing the unique needs and challenges women face in the workplace is so important.

By actively working to close the gender pay gap, increase representation, and provide robust support for women’s health issues, we foster a supportive space for discussing these topics. This approach empowers women and promotes a more inclusive and understanding workplace.”

What has Women at IOPP achieved so far?

Helen: “We’re proud of how the group has grown – we now have 24 members and counting! It’s a fantastic mix of women from across the business globally, with colleagues joining from our offices in Beijing, the US, and beyond. We’d love to welcome some male allies into the group as well – something we continue to hope for and encourage.

Our most recent achievement is that we’ve got funding for the Every Woman membership, a women’s learning platform offering webinars and resources for professional development. It has a lot of content on issues specific to women, some of which ties directly into our focus for this year: Women in Leadership. We’re also looking into running company-wide webinars that all colleagues can attend, not just women.

We’ve recently run sessions on imposter syndrome, which can be prevalent in all colleagues, but seems to affect women more than men. We’re looking at the barriers that prevent women from applying for certain jobs and seeing how we can work to reduce them.

We’ve also hosted sessions about the menopause and menstruation for women in the workplace. The menopause is a massive life change, and women are generally expected to carry on as usual, with no regard for going through what is often a very difficult time.”

Lauren: “There’s something different going on for women every day of the menstrual cycle. It’s not necessarily about having special allowances for it, but it is about understanding and increasing people’s awareness of women’s issues. Some people have a really rough time every month, and it can be difficult to carry on as normal.

One of our recent initiatives was the Period Drive, which we ran from May to June. Recognizing that period poverty affects many people, the group has partnered with Period Friendly Places, a charity supporting those in need. Employees are encouraged to donate period products, helping to provide essential supplies to those who need them most.”

Looking Ahead

Lauren: “We’d love to continue building the group and increase exposure and membership, to further our recognition and value within IOPP. I think it would be great to do some outreach with charities and to get known externally.

Our purpose is to call attention to issues that women face in their day-to-day lives and to give people the confidence to overcome barriers and have open discussions. More specifically, we’d like to turn our attention towards advocating for new policies to support our colleagues, such as a company-wide menopause policy.

Helen: “We are dedicated to empowering women in feeling confident in their careers, whether it’s pursuing promotions, overcoming imposter syndrome, or simply having the support to navigate workplace challenges. Contributing to closing the gender pay gap would be incredible, knowing that our group has helped make it happen. Every conversation or initiative brings us closer to lasting change.

We hope the ERG will continue to help women feel empowered, supported, and confident in their professional journeys. Together, we can continue to thrive.”