Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center Women's Task Force

Women’s Initiative Network

We’re proud to promote gender equality in recruitment, retention, and career development at MECC, as we strive to eliminate bias across all aspects of the work environment. Among our many efforts, we aim to identify barriers to advancement faced by women researchers and clinicians in the cancer field—and to offer solutions.

Women represent about 50% of the population globally. We see a day when MECC researchers and clinicians will reflect this balance at every faculty rank as well as in institutional leadership positions.

There should be equal participation in decision-making, education, training, research and/or patient care across our cancer enterprise.

Steps to achieving this vision include:

  • Identifying barriers to advancement for women in their departments and working with institutional leadership to promote effective changes.
  • Increasing participation of women faculty in leadership positions and recruitment
    committees.
  • Eliminating gender disparity in salaries.
  • Promoting the prominence of work done by MECC women faculty.
  • Identifying and encouraging participation in women’s career enrichment opportunities.
  • Pursuing philanthropic funding for awards to recognize the achievements of MECC women faculty.

 

Mission & Vision

Our Mission
To promote gender equality in recruitment, retention, and career development of the women faculty at the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center and to eliminate bias across all aspects of the working environment.

 

Our Vision
To increase women representation at every faculty rank and in positions within institutional leadership ensuring their equal participation in decision-making, education, training, research and/or patient care.

Leaders & Members

Sofia de Oliveira

Sofia de Oliveira, PhD

Maja H. Oktay

Maja H. Oktay, MD, PhD, MS

Cytopathology

Led by Dr. Sofia de Oliveira (Chair) and Dr. Maja Oktay (Vice-Chair), the Women's Initiative Network consists of MECC faculty and staff who identify as women and are committed to advancing gender equity in multiple areas across the cancer field.

Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center Women's Task Force

Initiatives & Advocacy Work

The Women's Initiative Network has been pursuing multiple goals and initiatives since being formed at the direction of MECC Director Edward Chu, MD, MMS, in 2021.

Initiatives

The multiple efforts to date include the introduction of career enrichment and career development support programs, a mentorship program for postdocs, fellows and junior faculty, and a speaker's program.

Advocacy Work

Along with building awareness, we are implementing policies to ensure a gradual increase in women’s representation in chief, chair, and other high-level department positions. As part of this effort, we’ve started to collect data about women’s career trajectories at MECC.

Highlights

Contact Us

The Women's Initiative Network meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.

All MECC females are invited to join; email sofia.deoliveira@einsteinmed.edu for membership and Zoom link information.