Anika Parashar, Founder and CEO, The Woman’s Company talks about the issues that plague the position of women in the healthcare industry
Women have been fighting for their seat at the table for decades, and the healthcare industry is no different. Even though the healthcare sector is one of the most appealing industries for most women, it is also one of the sectors where women face persistent obstacles especially higher up the ladder.
As per a study by WHO – Gender equity in the health workforce: Analysis of 104 countries, Women form 70 per cent of workers in the health and social sector. While there have been steady signs of progress, in moving up the organisation, particularly for senior positions, there is still underrepresentation. A few key challenges that women face –
Gender Bias: The top rungs of the ladder in healthcare are often a boys’ club. Reaching leadership positions for women has proven to be especially rare due to gender bias and an uneven playing field. In the medical journal Lancet in 2021 a study stated that women represent 71 per cent of the global health care workforce. Even though both men and women progress similarly in this field in their early careers, women are five times more likely to face disruptions in their pathways. Long etched biases like stereotypical gender roles, unfavourable education opportunities, cultural bias and other such restrictions plague the healthcare sector as well. This makes it exceptionally hard for women to progress in the healthcare industry.
Lack of networking/support system: The healthcare sector by no means is an easy feat, especially for the support medical staff. Women often find themselves shelved due to a lack of a proper ecosystem and network to avail opportunities. Restricted access to professional networks, conditioned by patriarchy, impedes their growth pushing them to fend for themselves in the shallow waters. Most women in India do not have access to higher education, thus diverting them towards part-time/less extensive healthcare jobs.
Absence of agency: The pandemic truly changed the face of healthcare in the world. Amidst the front-line workers, nurses and midwives were a majority segment that helped save millions of lives while risking their own. Women are estimated to make up to 30 per cent of doctors and more than 80 per cent of nurses and midwives. An absence of an agency to monitor the impartial and objective growth of individuals adds to the gender gap.
Women in the healthcare workforce are receiving their due recognition for their contributions but in terms of the whole sector, the scales haven’t tipped much in their favour. To rectify the situation, there needs to be more investment in the creation of opportunities to level the playing field. Change needs to be driven from the grassroots.
Besides this, administrations must look into bringing women into leadership roles to maintain gender representation. Having more women in decision-making positions will not only add to productivity and perspective but also help in bringing more women forward.
Attention must also be paid to the support and introduction of women-centric inventions to help the sector evolve and account for proper healthcare for women.
Concerted efforts to augment women in healthcare, especially in leadership roles will bring about a change in perspective and help our society break away from the obsolete and often harmful socio-cultural beliefs. This will not only create equal opportunity for all but also stands to bring about an intergenerational change.