This month, we are celebrating Women’s History by featuring female leaders here at Everside. Our second spotlight is Jasmine Wazaney, Director of Analytics Product Development. Jasmine uses her data visualization, computer programming, and storytelling skills to bring data to life. She is passionate about improving healthcare through data transparency and optimization, and we are lucky to have her as a part of our Everside family.
Is there a woman who has been especially inspiring to you?
My mom has been a great inspiration to me. I even followed her footsteps going into the healthcare industry. Although the work I do is not patient facing, I do feel that it is patient impacting and I approach everything I do with the intent of making a positive impact in the world. I hope to inspire my little girl in the same way.
I approach everything I do with the intent of making a positive impact in the world.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
Women’s History Month means a lot of things to me. It is:
- Remembering all the women that blazed the trails before us.
- Recognizing and uplifting all the women of today.
- Never forgetting that our past forges our present and continues to mold our future.
There have been a number of exciting advancements for women over the last few years. What progress would you like to see in the next few years?
I am very passionate about health equity and truly believe there is a difference between equality and equity. The same goes for gender. In the next few years, I would love to see a shift from focusing on offering the same opportunities to women as exist for men, to recognizing the barriers that prevent these opportunities and begin to break them down. “By investing in their education, women gain more access to leadership positions, which also empowers them to improve the lives of people within their communities…. When the status of women improved in low- and middle-income countries… there was a 47% reduction in childhood mortality, according to a 2015 study published in Biodemography and Social Biology.” 1
The world still needs dreamers.
What advice do you have for the next generation of female leaders?
Always strive to be the best version of you and never set your sights too low. As kids we are told we can be anything we want to be, but then reality and practicality begins to set in and it feels more like an unrealistic dream. But the world still needs dreamers. Your passions may change over time, and that is okay. Let them drive you. You may begin to discover things that you didn’t even know you were passionate about. Lastly, don’t be nervous about being a female in a male dominated field; take it as a challenge, rise to the occasion, and don’t allow yourself to be underestimated. You can quickly blur the lines of gender when you are undeniably good at what you do.
- Binagwaho, A., 2022. The difference between gender equity and equality—and why it matters. [online] Fortune. Available at: <https://fortune.com/2020/03/25/gender-equality-and-equity-iwd-womens-education/> [Accessed 7 March 2022].