Women as Leaders in Healthcare; the Way Forward

Abstract

Women comprise almost 70% of health and social care workers globally and nearly 90% of the nursing and midwifery workforce. Yet, it is estimated that they hold only around 25% of leadership roles in health. Few women are promoted in academia, achieve research grants, and take up senior leadership posts.One of the reported reasons for this discrepancy are flawed and gender inequitable policies which render women at a disadvantage. In Pakistan, male counterparts occupied more than 80% of all leadership posts in health sector except in the academic basic sciences(1). Although women have always wanted to partake in high-ranking positions in healthcare sector based on their merit, multiple obstacles have prevented them from these opportunities as compared to their male counterparts. Obstacles hindering women from advancing the career ladder have been likened to a ‘glass ceiling’. These barriers include absence of gender equitable governmental action, institutional hindrances, andorthodox assumptions of society regarding the female sex and female seniors sabotaging other women. Another factor acting as a handicap to women seeking leadership positions is the “motherhood penalty” which includes career breaks on account of pregnancy and work being affected by physical and emotional load due to domestic responsibilities.