February 3, 2022 11:24 am EDT

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on women, Organon issues a call to action for other leaders to create opportunities to focus on women’s health in Australia

Sydney, Australia. February 3, 2022 — Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global women’s health company, is designating International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 as a day to recognise the growing health disparities women face that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic¹. Since its inception, IWD has focused on accelerating gender parity. Organon recognises the need for a global effort to address her health and is starting with its own employees, including the almost 100 in Organon Australia, by providing paid time off this year for all employees to attend to their own health needs. The company invites organisations in Australia and across the globe to join in raising awareness of the inequity in women’s health and to adopt initiatives that help women prioritise their health.

Women have worked hard to advance in the workplace, but the pandemic is unraveling these hard-fought gains. Many women are now significantly more burned out than ever, even more than men¹ — which can take a huge toll on their physical and mental health. The Jean Hailes’ Women’s Health Survey 2020 Snapshot reports that 31.7% of women aged 25 – 44 did not have enough time to attend health check appointments, and one in four could not get an appointment when they needed one².

“Organon launched with a commitment to listen to the needs of women and as part of our research, we learned that women are finding it harder than ever to make the time to care for even their most basic health needs,” said Kevin Ali, chief executive officer, Organon. “As a company investing in innovation to improve women’s health, I felt a responsibility to help address this within our own global community of almost 9,500 employees. This year, the symbolic action we are taking is to encourage all our people to spend this day off to make a commitment to their own health or the health of the women in their lives, whether that’s going to the doctor, taking stock of their own wellbeing or reflecting on how to make a change.”

“We believe healthy women are the backbone of a thriving, stable and resilient society and when she is healthy, she prospers and so does her community, her society for generations to come. The Australian Federal Government’s National Women’s Health Strategy 2020 – 2030³ recognises the gaps in health outcomes and key health inequities exists for women and girls, and seeks to address these”, said Nirelle Tolstoshev, managing director for Organon Australia.

An online survey of 10,000 Australian women conducted between February and April 2021 by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, found that COVID has had an impact on women’s personal and professional lives, as well as that of her family⁴.

One in three women (31 per cent) in the survey had been laid off, lost their job or had to take a pay cut or reduce hours, in the first 12 months of the pandemic. As a result, women reported being unable to pay bills on time, needing to pawn or sell something, going without needed medical or dental treatment, and skipping meals. This has a profound impact not only on women, but also their families and their communities.

This is what Organon is hoping to change, and we are asking others to join in the effort to improve women’s health.

“We foster a People First culture to support our people, our customers and the communities in which we live and work. Empowering women to put their health needs at the top of the priority list is part of the change we need to drive to increase gender equity in all aspects of their lives,” continued Tolstoshev.  “Especially as the pandemic continues to limit women’s ability to take care of themselves, we are proud to show our commitment to meeting women’s unmet health needs today and into the future.”

We believe that by improving the understanding of women’s health needs, we are one step closer to closing the inequity gap. Organon urges all organisations to join in this mission and be part of the solution. Visit hereforherhealth.com/make-time to learn more.

About Organon

Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck, (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, to focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the women’s health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon’s products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women’s health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,500 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

For more information, visit http://www.organon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Copyright © (2022) Organon group of companies.  All rights reserved.

Organon Pharma Pty Ltd. Building A, Level 3, 26 Talavera Rd, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113.

AU-NON-110002. First issued February 2022.

To learn more about Organon, please visit https://organon.com/australia/

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