The North of England is home to exceptional women in the health and life sciences industry, and beyond, doing important work to further their fields and support their communities.  

The Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) is delighted to once again launch the  #NorthInnovationWomen social media campaign, which recognises those women who are pushing the boundaries of innovation within their fields.  

The NHSA is calling on people across social media to share their suggestions of women making their mark in the world of innovation. The suggestions will be collated over the next few weeks with the final #NorthInnovationWomen list published on International Women’s Day. 

We want to hear about the incredible women achieving great things and inspiring those around them across the North of England, both in a professional or personal capacity.  

There are no strict criteria or voting systems – #NorthInnovationWomen provides 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.  

All we ask is that a few simple guidelines are followed when making suggestions for this year’s list. To tell us about your #NorthInnovationWomen recommendations, you must follow the below steps on LinkedIn,  X or Bluesky for your suggestion to be counted:  

• Use the hashtag #NorthInnovationWomen  

• Tag/name the person you want to recommend  

• In your post, list their name, role, institution and why you’re suggesting them  

All recommendations must be made by  Friday, February 27, 2026, and the full list will be published on the NHSA’s website just after International Women’s Day, on Monday, March 9. 

International Women’s Day (IWD) 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 IWD’s theme of 2026 is #GivetoGain. We want to particularly recognise those women giving back to their communities and industries, supporting opportunities and development for women, and working to forge gender equality, either through their research or by example.   

Hannah Davies, Chief Executive at the NHSA and Executive Director of Health Equity North, said: “The North Innovation Women campaign is a great opportunity to celebrate the innovative women in the North, leading important research in their fields and paving the way for improvements in their communities. At the Northern Health Science Alliance, we are proud to champion these amazing women and all the work they do for another year. “ 

Read more about #IWD2026 and how to get involved at: https://www.internationalwomensday.com