In recognition of International Women’s Day, we spoke with the team behind The HER Network, a Canadian organization dedicated to supporting women in public and global health. Through mentorship, professional development, and community-building, The HER Network creates spaces for women to connect, learn, and grow across the field. Its leadership team, Rinila Haridas (CEO) and Abita Venkatesh (COO), both Master of Public Health (MPH) graduates, alongside Tiffany Chiu (Director of Outreach and Partnerships) and Ayesha Lalani (Director of Marketing and Communications), shared why they founded the network, the gaps they hope to address, and their advice for emerging professionals.
For those discovering The HER Network for the first time, what is it and why does it matter right now?
The HER Network is a Canadian-based organization that brings together women working in public and global health through webinars, workshops and events. Our goal is to help women build their careers while also finding a supportive community. We operate primarily through an online platform to ensure accessible and equitable programming across Canada. Our team includes Rinila Haridas (CEO), Abita Venkatesh (COO), Tiffany Chiu (Director of Outreach and Partnerships) and Ayesha Lalani (Director of Marketing and Communications).
In the current volatile economy and job market, we believe it is more important than ever to help people build professional connections. At the same time, we want to ensure that women’s voices are uplifted and prioritized to increase representation in public and global health. From our experience, many job opportunities arise through professional connections, and The HER Network aims to foster this type of community.
What gap were you seeing for women in public and global health that made you say, “We need to build this”?
From both our own experiences and those shared by others, there is limited support for career development and networking during public health studies and for people entering the field. The HER Network aims to bridge this gap between education and career by empowering women to navigate the realities of these fields.
While many women work in public health roles in Canada, this representation is not always reflected in leadership positions. In some contexts outside of Canada, women are also underrepresented in public and global health. For members of The HER Network working internationally, we hope to strengthen and support this community.
Public health is a field with many women yet leadership spaces don’t always reflect that. What has been your experience navigating that reality?
Although public and global health include many women, leadership representation does not always reflect this reality. Women can often feel underestimated or experience a perceived ceiling when pursuing leadership roles. Women of colour are also frequently underrepresented in both the field and in leadership positions.
This highlights the importance of considering intersectionality within institutions, organizations and the broader job market. Research shows that women have positive impacts on reducing health inequities and strengthening health systems (Kalbarczyk et al., 2024). Navigating this reality entails being from a practical lens and understanding that you have more agency than you think.
The HER Network is women-led and women-centered. What does that look like in action and why does it matter?
Although The HER Network is created by and for women, we are an accessibility- and inclusivity-first organization that welcomes people of all genders to our events and programming. At the same time, we prioritize women in our leadership and volunteer roles, as well as uphold the philosophy of uplifting and empowering women.
It is important for us to create a positive community, share opportunities and increase visibility for women in leadership positions working in public and global health. By doing so, young women will have additional chances to network and build their skills.
What has been a moment that made you think, “This is exactly why we started”
There have been a few moments where we have felt this, most notably with our annual case competition. One of the attendees had shared their reflection: they attended their first case competition through our event, and found the skill-building aspect helpful for their career. This allowed them to also find a sense of community through working with a new team.
Additionally, during our volunteer program recruitment process, many interviewees emphasized how they were inspired by The HER Network’s mission and passionate to contribute in their own way. These experiences not only solidified our application of our intention to educate and foster connections, but also assured us of our impact. It was validating to see the interest and support for our mission from women across the Canada.
What does supporting emerging women professionals mean to you personally?
From our experiences as women who are emerging professionals, navigating the public and global health fields, it is easy to feel lost and unsure of next steps after one’s education. Throughout our team’s academic and professional endeavours, we have found that there is a lack of support for emerging professionals and students. Through The HER Network, we aim to bridge this gap to uplift and help ensure that other women do not have to feel this way and are able to have more support in their careers.
If you could change one thing about how women are supported in public and global health in Canada, what would it be?
In a world where connections are so important to further one’s career, we would like to see it be easier for women to connect professionally with each other in a meaningful way outside of just cold messaging or only within one’s university. We aim to facilitate a broader and more accessible network across Canada allowing for new opportunities, new interests and areas of growth. Within public and global health, where potential avenues and careers are so broad, it is especially relevant to connect with others who may be working in an area that may be unfamiliar or spark curiosity.
What message would you share with young women who are just beginning their careers in public health?
Abita: I would suggest being open to new subfields or roles that weren’t previously on your radar. Sometimes we may feel like we come into our studies knowing exactly the kind of position and organization we want to work within, but as students and early career professionals, it’s important to remember that being open to external possibilities may allow you to find new roles and connections that unexpectedly suit you really well!
Rinila: It’s easier said than done, but try not to stress as much when navigating your career as a young professional. It will all turn out okay in the end and you are exactly where you are meant to be. Public and global health have so many paths and you never know where you may find yourself. Control what you can, don’t make yourself smaller for anyone else and keep following the path you are most passionate about: everything else will work itself out.
What does “empowered women empower women” mean to you?
This phrase represents our team’s lived experience and objective to give back to our community due to these experiences. It really boils down to filling the gaps in this field that we know of while fostering a community that doesn’t only help in career building but also in personal connections and support. The HER Network and our executives believe in cultivating the intention behind International Women’s Day in our everyday lives, programming and work.