Ahead of International Women’s Day 2022, a campaign to celebrate the achievements of innovative women in the North, has launched for the fifth year running.

In the spirit of the International Women’s Day theme of breaking the bias and forging equality for women, the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) and N8 Research Partnership have teamed up for the #NorthInnovationWomen campaign 2022.

The social media campaign was first launched by the NHSA in 2018 to recognise women who are pushing the boundaries of innovation within their fields. Since it began, there have been hundreds of women included in the annual #NorthInnovationWomen list, which is published on March 8 to mark International Women’s Day.

The NHSA and N8 Research Partnership are encouraging Twitter users to share their suggestions of women making their mark in the world of innovation who they believe should be included in the 2022 list.

After another challenging year, with innovation leading the way in the pandemic response and recovery, the campaign is a fantastic opportunity to champion the achievements of female role models and leaders in the North.

Recommendations will be collated over the coming weeks, with the final #NorthInnovationWomen 2022 list published on International Women’s Day (March 8).

There are no strict criteria or voting systems – #NorthInnovationWomen is an informal and supportive platform to allow women to be acknowledged and celebrated by friends, family, colleagues or those who would just like to recognise excellence in another.

To share your #NorthInnovationWomen recommendations, follow the below steps on Twitter for your suggestion to be counted:

• Use the hashtag #NorthInnovationWomen.
• Tag/name the person you want to recommend.
• List their name, role and institution (or as much information as you know/can fit into your tweet).

All suggestions must be made by Wednesday March 2, 2022. The full list will be published on the NHSA and N8 Research Partnership’s websites on International Women’s Day, on Tuesday March 8.

Hannah Davies, Head of Public and External Affairs at the Northern Health Science Alliance, said:

“At the NHSA, we strongly believe in championing equality and diversity and we are proud to raise awareness of the achievements of innovative women in the North for the fifth year running. The campaign is always a highlight in our annual calendar and we’re looking forward to publishing the #NorthInnovationWomen list on International Women’s Day.

“We have seen the heroic efforts of individuals and organisations in the fields of science and innovation, rise to the challenge in the fight against COVID-19. Many incredible women have made a valuable mark on the world of innovation. Our aim is to celebrate them and showcase the breadth of talent across the North, as well as inspiring the next generation of innovators.”

Dr Annette Bramley, Director of the N8 Research Partnership, said:

“There are so many incredibly creative and ingenious women in the North of England, from all places and backgrounds. Because they look at the world through the lens of their own experiences, they bring fresh insights and ideas which lead to new products, processes and businesses.

“The #NorthInnovationWomen campaign puts THEM in the limelight so that we can celebrate their achievements and smash preconceptions about who can innovate. All these women are role models for future generations of innovators that identify as female. By lifting them up we can make more people aware of the strength and depth of female talent across the North of England, driving our powerhouse of innovation.”

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender equality. The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias

Read more about #IWD2022 and how to get involved at: https://www.internationalwomensday.com