When people ask me about my journey in healthcare, they often expect me to talk about clinical milestones or professional achievements. Healthcare has never lacked talented women. They are leading patient care, advancing research, teaching the next generation of doctors and driving innovation every day. Yet when it comes to senior leadership, their representation remains disproportionately low. As the sector evolves, understanding why this gap persists deserves greater attention.
India’s healthcare sector has seen encouraging growth in the number of women entering the profession. Women today account for nearly 29 per cent of registered doctors in the country and represent a significant share of the segment’s workforce. However, their presence becomes noticeably smaller at senior leadership levels. According to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), women occupy around 18 per cent of leadership positions in healthcare organisations.
This shows that the conversation has moved beyond simply encouraging more women to enter healthcare. The bigger challenge today is ensuring they have the same opportunities to grow into leadership roles. There is no shortage of talented women across medical colleges, residency programmes and hospitals. Yet many find that as they progress in their careers, opportunities for mentorship, sponsorship and leadership become harder to access. The ICRW’s 2024 report, based on consultations with nineteen healthcare organisations in India, highlights that factors such as organisational culture, limited mentoring and professional development opportunities, and unconscious bias can all influence career progression.
Today, the sector is grappling with increasingly complex challenges such as growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), rapid digital transformation, workforce shortages, and rapidly evolving patient expectations. Addressing these challenges calls for building leadership teams that bring different perspectives to the table, experiences and ways of thinking. Studies from around the world have consistently shown that organisations with more diverse leadership often see stronger collaboration, deeper employee engagement and more balanced decision-making. In healthcare, since leadership decisions can directly influence patient outcomes and the resilience of the organisation, the value of diverse perspectives becomes crucial.
Throughout my career, I have seen that the most effective leaders are those who create an environment where people feel heard, invest in developing young minds, and never lose sight of the patient at the centre of every decision. These qualities are by no means exclusive to women, but they are strengths I have often seen in women who have progressed into leadership roles despite the challenges along the way. They bring perspectives that encourage collaboration, strengthen teams and help organisations think beyond immediate priorities.
Creating more women leaders does not happen by chance. It requires organisations to consciously build an environment where talent can thrive. At Fortis Healthcare, we have seen the value of fostering a culture that emphasises equal opportunity, mentorship and merit-based growth. Transparent promotion processes, structured mentoring and sponsorship, support during career transitions and regular reviews of workplace equity all play an important role. More importantly, diversity and inclusion need to be embedded in an organisation’s culture rather than treated as standalone initiatives.
Healthcare has always been built on the collective expertise of its people. As the sector continues to evolve, creating opportunities for more women to contribute at the highest levels is not simply about representation. It is about strengthening leadership with a broader range of perspectives, experiences and ideas. Ultimately, that benefits healthcare organisations, the professionals who work within them and, most importantly, the patients they serve.