FIGO’s LDI:REACH initiative spotlights the voices of female healthcare professionals from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan. These women are reflecting on their careers and discussing how gender has impacted their professional opportunities.
Challenges to Gender Equity in Healthcare: Key Insights
One of the most significant challenges highlighted by women in healthcare is the struggle to balance professional and personal responsibilities, particularly childcare and family care. Many of the women interviewed reported having to take career breaks or slow their professional growth to fulfil family obligations.
Additionally, there is pressure on women to engage more in social and community activities, which often leads to feelings of guilt over how they allocate their time between work and family. For some, taking on leadership roles seemed unattainable due to the demands already placed on them.
Another major barrier identified is the need for women to adapt to environments that are not designed with them in mind. Nearly half of the respondents mentioned that systems and resources, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), are tailored for men, making them ill-fitting and unsafe. Furthermore, some women felt that male doctors receive more respect, higher pay, and greater access to positions of authority.
Building More Inclusive and Equitable Healthcare Systems
To foster more inclusive and equitable healthcare systems, it is crucial to address these barriers. By listening to the experiences of female healthcare professionals and understanding the unique challenges they face, we can work towards creating a more supportive environment where both men and women can thrive equally.
"I hope to see more women in leadership positions, to promote gender diversity. I hope more women will have the tools, confidence, mentoring, networks and support to use their voice and expertise to make an impact on health. I hope more women will be involved in research. I hope more women will be represented in all specialties, including those perceived as more challenging."- Dr. Odigonma Ikpeze, Nigeria
"I hope for greater awareness of gender-specific health issues. To achieve this, disparities need to be addressed. Women's leadership in healthcare systems should be encouraged in order to develop an equitable healthcare system."- Dr Seemab Zafar, Pakistan
Encouraging education for girls and support will make more females available to be employed in the health sector. It would also facilitate more women accessing leadership positions in healthcare facilities.- Dr Rahila Garba, Nigeria
"I hope there will be legal changes in MTIs [Medical Teaching Institution] to allocate a mandatory seat on the board to a woman, as currently most teaching hospital boards are all-male. There needs to be a conscious effort for promoting female participation in the field of general surgery in Pakistan. Although medical institutes in Pakistan are dominated by female students, there is a trend in Pakistan where families do not support female doctors to continue practicing medicine after marriage. This has a direct impact on the participation rate of females in the medical work force. I hope this social trend changes, as that would surely make healthcare more inclusive in the country."- Dr Javeria Saleem, Pakistan
Note: Originally published by https://www.figo.org/
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