A gap hidden in plain sight
The starting point was not a sudden campaign idea, but a closer look at the Society itself. As Tessie Laub, Chief Programs Officer at SIOP, explains, the Women Leaders Network grew out of a review of SIOP’s membership and programmes.“We identified that 67% of SIOP’s membership are female but we didn’t have concrete activities targeting this particular segment of the Society.”
SIOP realised that women were highly present across paediatric oncology, but not proportionately visible in senior leadership roles within institutions, research groups or the Society. The issue, in other words, was not participation but progression. Through its congresses, networks and global advocacy, SIOP has become an important convening force in paediatric oncology, connecting expertise across regions and disciplines in a field where international collaboration is essential.
Laub says member surveys and informal discussions revealed a strong appetite for something practical: leadership skills, relatable role models, and honest accounts of how other women had navigated the pressure of professional advancement alongside family responsibilities. “What started as a conversation about representation quickly evolved into a broader development within SIOP to foster inclusion, empower women to pursue leadership roles, and create a stronger and more diverse leadership culture across the global paediatric oncology community.”
Building something members could actually use
From the outset, the initiative did not rely on abstract declarations. SIOP began with online and physical meetings: “We first offered several online and in-person flagship events showcasing prominent women leaders talking about their career progression, mentors who influenced their work and how they managed various responsibilities at work and at home.” These sessions were designed as learning spaces.
The Society then expanded the concept. Motivational speakers focusing on women’s empowerment joined the programme. Congress sessions on women’s leadership became some of the most attended in the wider event schedule. The Almanac followed, evolving into an annual publication paired with a social media campaign that extends the conversation beyond the congress hall. On its website, SIOP presents the Network as a dedicated platform within the Society, while the 2025 Almanac introduces its third edition and notes that the featured women were nominated by peers from across five continents and diverse professional backgrounds. This layered structure is one reason the initiative feels more substantial than a one-off campaign. It creates multiple entry points, an event for those who want live discussion, an Almanac for those looking for examples and inspiration, and an ongoing network for those seeking continuity.
Why it struck such a chord
Even so, the depth of the response appears to have surprised SIOP itself. “We thought that the initiative would be well received but were surprised by the volume of positive response.” She points in particular to a women’s leadership session at the 2023 SIOP Annual Congress. “Every seat at the auditorium was occupied, but the surprising thing is that even 3 years later, we still hear Congress delegates reflecting on how much they enjoyed and how much they learned from that session.”
For Laub, the resonance came from the initiative’s ability to name a reality many members were already living. “Women represent nearly two-thirds of the Society’s membership, yet many still encounter significant barriers to obtaining leadership opportunities within their hospitals, universities, or research centers.”
The Network created a space where those barriers could be acknowledged, but it also made leadership visible through examples. “Seeing women leading international collaborations, directing major programs and hospital paediatric oncology units, advancing research, and shaping policy demonstrated that these leadership positions are achievable and valuable.” That is where the Almanac plays a particularly strategic role. The 2025 edition builds resilience, career turning points, balance, support systems and advice to the next generation.
Changing culture, not just language
For any association initiative, the real question is whether it changes organisational behaviour. In SIOP’s case, Laub believes it has. “One of the most important changes inside SIOP has been a visible increase in women stepping forward to self-nominate for volunteer leadership and Board-level positions.” She adds that the Society’s Board of Directors is now “significantly more gender-balanced today than it was ten years ago.”That matters because it moves the conversation beyond recognition and into governance. A DEI initiative becomes strategically meaningful when it influences who puts themselves forward, who feels entitled to lead, and whose perspectives shape decision-making. SIOP’s own Women Leaders page now places the network alongside the Society’s other professional structures and highlights its international recognition, signalling that this work has become part of the association’s identity rather than a peripheral activity.
A lesson for associations far beyond medicine
SIOP’s award-winning initiative deserves attention not only because it addresses an enduring imbalance in paediatric oncology, but because it offers a useful lesson for associations more broadly. Data may reveal a gap. Storytelling may raise awareness. But culture changes only when institutions create credible routes through the problem.
That is what makes this story compelling. SIOP did not respond to a representation gap with a slogan. It built a platform. It listened to members, tested formats, discarded what did not work, and invested in role models, leadership development and visibility with unusual consistency. The result is a project that honours women already shaping paediatric oncology, while making leadership easier to imagine for those coming next.