WASHINGTON – The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) will add a new conference to its calendar in 2024, when it debuts the IDFA Women’s Summit.

The association developed the summit, scheduled for March 18-20 in Washington, DC, to both celebrate and empower women in the dairy industry.

IDFA shared that it plans to bring together rising and established leaders to advance gender equality, and it is seeking members with diverse experiences and backgrounds to be a part of the inaugural IDFA Women’s Summit.

Sessions will cover topics such as practical strategies to better support women at all levels of the dairy industry, leadership development, mentorship, allyship and advocacy.

Per IDFA, the three-day event also will include a day on Capitol Hill to meet with policymakers and inform them about the impacts of federal policies and programs.

While speaking earlier this month at the 2023 IDF World Dairy Summit, IDFA president and chief executive director Michael Dykes said the organization is committed to helping the industry create an inclusive culture and empowering people from all backgrounds.

“The work we are doing to identify and remove barriers to women excelling in the workplace is just one example of the people strategy in action,” Dykes said.

IDFA Women’s Summit, he said, is being developed to further strengthen the professional skill sets of attendees and advocate for dairy’s top policy priorities.

The association also is implementing a new annual State of Women in Dairy Survey. Dykes said it will be used to improve retention, recruiting and gender equality in the US dairy industry. IDFA will reveal the inaugural survey’s results at Dairy Forum 2024, in Phoenix.

Additional information and registration details are available online at IDFA’s website.