Despite constituting more than 70% of the global healthcare workforce, women hold fewer than 25% of senior leadership positions in public health (Boniol et al., 2019). This glaring underrepresentation is in stark contrast with the significant impact women can have on health and economic growth, as well as social gains, when they assume leadership roles (Mousa et al., 2021). Addressing this disparity calls for a paradigm shift from an equality framework to an equity framework and the implementation of evidence-based, system-level strategies.
The Impact of Female Leadership in Public Health
The role of women in public health leadership is pivotal and multifaceted. Their representation in leadership positions can lead to a 22% rise in human capital wealth globally (Mousa et al., 2021). As the world shifts toward universal health coverage, the inclusion of women leaders becomes even more critical to address the disparities in current burden of disease distributions effectively.
Overcoming Systemic Barriers to Female Leadership
Long-standing systemic biases, societal stereotypes, and gender-based inequalities pose significant obstacles to women's progression in public health leadership. Strategies for advancing women in leadership positions must, therefore, involve dismantling these entrenched barriers and reorienting institutional structures and attitudes.
Moving Toward an Equity Framework
Achieving gender parity in leadership positions requires a departure from equality propositions and an embrace of equity principles. Equality-based approaches, offering equal distribution of resources and opportunities, fail to rectify pre-existing imbalances. An equity framework that allocates additional, specific resources and opportunities to women can foster more balanced outcomes.
A System-Level, Evidence-Based Approach
Current individual-focused strategies are insufficient for achieving meaningful change. Instead, a system-level, evidence-based approach is necessary. This approach would involve a collaborative effort to design and implement effective strategies, monitor trend shifts, and conduct further research. While considerable literature exists on the barriers to women's advancement, less is available on viable solutions, signalling a clear gap that needs addressing (Mousa et al., 2021).
Conclusion
The future of public health relies on the active inclusion and advancement of women in leadership roles. To move from the current state of disparity to a future of equity, system-level change, collaboration, and consistent monitoring are vital.
References:
Boniol M, McIsaac M, Xu L, Wuliji T, Diallo K, Campbell J. (2019). Gender equity in the health workforce: analysis of 104 countries. Working paper 1. Geneva: World Health Organization; (WHO/HIS/HWF/Gender/WP1/2019.1). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
Mousa, M., Boyle, J., Skouteris, H., Mullins, A. K., Currie, G., Riach, K., & Teede, H. J. (2021). Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of multi-sector evidence on organisational interventions. EClinicalMedicine, 39, 101084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101084