CORRECTED PROOF Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy xxx (xxxx) 1–4 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rsap A vision to advance gender equality within pharmacy leadership: Next steps to take the profession forward Deanna Mill a , Lauren Burton b , Renly Lim c , Anna Barwick d, e , Chelsea Felkai f , Tin Fei Sim g , Sarah Dineen-Griffin f, * a University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Australia b King Edward Memorial Hospital, Western Australia, Australia c Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, South Australia, Australia d University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia e University of New England, New South Wales, Australia f University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia g Curtin University, Western Australia, Australia ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Pharmacy Pharmacist Pharmaceutical Leadership Women Gender Equality ABSTRACT The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 to ‘achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls and ensure their full and effective participation in all spheres of life. In alignment with this, several key international initiatives are making progress towards gender equality in the pharmacy profession. The pharmacy profession must support women and accelerate the progress of women in leadership positions in pharmacy. International and national pharmacy professional bodies can play a critical role in fostering the change required to improve gender equality in all re- gions and countries. The ongoing development, evaluation and implementation of policies and initiatives are critical to a profession that is increasingly becoming feminised. Furthermore, there is an imperative to deeply un- derstand the gender-based barriers and develop evidence-based strategies and solutions to support women in pharmacy leadership. There is extensive literature and research on gender inequality and its impact on leader- ship outside pharmacy which could be used strategically for the profession to develop its own evidence based strategic position. Robust initiatives are needed to ensure that women at all levels including women in pharmacy leadership are empowered and encouraged to participate in their profession. This commentary seeks to generate and contribute to the debate to ensure the profession is proactive and deliberate in tackling the challenges that have traditionally impeded women reaching leadership positions and several critical actions as next steps are proposed. Action is needed to improve gender equality in pharmacy leadership and a profession-wide discussion on ways to progress the above proposed actions is critically needed. 1 Introduction While there have been extensive efforts across sectors, women con- tinue to be underrepresented in leadership, 1,2 which is limiting gender equality. Gender equality refers to people of all genders having equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. 3 It aims to ensure that every- one is treated fairly and without discrimination. 3 Gender equality is closely linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established in 2015. 4 The 17 SDGs aim by 2030 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosper- ity. 4 Gender equality is explicitly recognized as a key component of sev- eral of the SDGs, 4 primarily SDG 5 to ‘achieve gender equality and em- power all women and girls’. This goal aims to eliminate all forms of dis- crimination against women and girls and ensure their full and effective participation in all spheres of life. In alignment with the SDGs, 4,5 the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) launched in 2020 their 21 Development Goals (DGs) as a resource for transforming the global pharmacy profession. FIP DG 10 “Equity & Equality” calls for all countries to have “clear strategies for addressing equity and diversity inequalities in pharmaceutical work- * Corresponding author. College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. E-mail address: sarah.dineengriffin@newcastle.edu.au (S. Dineen-Griffin). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.03.001 Received 6 September 2022; Received in revised form 1 March 2023; Accepted 1 March 2023 1551-7411/© 20XX