Women in Leadership Roles — International Women's Day 2023 #EmbraceEquity

Vol. 28, Issue 1 (March 2023)

Lubna Kamani, MD
President, Pakistan GI & Liver Diseases Society
Professor of Gastroenterology & Director, GI Residency Program, Liaquat National Hospital
Consultant, Aga Khan University Hospital
Karachi, Pakistan
 

Alizeh Arshad
Undergraduate Student, Economics and Sociology Department
University of Edinburgh
Scotland, United Kingdom

 

In an enabled world, a woman’s voice matters. However, we have seen that throughout history there has been a significant imbalance between the number of leadership roles that have been awarded to men and women, especially in the medical field. Furthermore, in international medical conferences it is has been observed that the majority of the speakers and faculty present are male. Gender disparity in research and academia also remains. Women are not only more often deprived of major funding, but they are also less likely to attain editorship and authorship of eminent journals. The question arises: how can we overcome these barriers in order to enact change? And how can we achieve leadership and academic advancement for women?

In order to understand the plight of women in the field we must acknowledge what they are facing on a day-to-day basis. The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) has only recently appointed their first female president, Naima Lahbabi-Amrani, in 2019. Moreover, Dr. Sarah Clarke was recently appointed the 122nd president of Royal College of Physicians Council, however she is only the fourth woman to have ever held this position. Higher titles and achievements are more often than not skewed in one direction and this can have a rather dominating effect leading to microaggressions in the workplace, especially towards those that are women of color. Women that occupy prominent positions are also far more likely to battle with imposter syndrome due to feeling out of place with their fellow colleagues.

There are several barriers present that women must face. The aforementioned imposter syndrome leads to many questioning their abilities and their capacity to handle their jobs, which then turns into self-doubt. Women are also more often the primary caregivers for their children and families which leaves them with less time to pursue their career goals. In published literature 47% of women reported that their work life balance was quite challenging for them while 37% were made to feel inferior and discouraged from receiving a promotion. The “Great Man” theory is one that has been widely discredited. It states that some individuals (generally men) are natural born leaders, and hence they excel. For women, you have the three C’s that are credibility, capacity, and capability. These three attributes are constantly questioned.

We are caught in an enigma. Is it that men are blocking women, that women are blocking other women, or are women blocking themselves from achieving their fullest potential? With more women entering the field and a work dynamic that is constantly changing, we must ask ourselves why these disparities still exist. One of the biggest factors is the fear of failure and the unknown. Due to an unavailability of female mentors many are faced with a lack of information and often may not know the intricacies of how to conduct themselves, especially in a male-dominated field. If there is no support system available at home, then there will be an increasing reluctance to try something new because the overall benefits are perceived to be low. Furthermore, due to historical factors or institutional memory (bad past experiences), the emergence of young women is often seen as a threat to the status quo as well as to the power of those that are already in a position of authority.

According to the World Economic Forum, Pakistan remained ranked towards the bottom of the most recent global gender index report. In this country, women take up a majority of the seats at medical colleges, however they end up taking a very small part of the actual medical workforce. This is due to the “doctor bride” concept that runs rampant in the country. Akin to a trophy wife, this essentially means that women that strive to become doctors will eventually find a good match, however oftentimes their spouse and in-laws will not allow them to work after they are married. 

Now, what are some steps that can be taken to embrace equity? The most important step we must take is to change the mindset of the people. We must establish a concrete policy, throughout all levels of the medical workforce, dedicated to solving the barriers of the women in leadership face. Eliminating bias through institutional policies and providing more sponsors for women will allow them to gain credibility and trust. Furthermore, establishing a mentorship program will allow up-and-coming professionals an opportunity to learn more about their field and to also expand their existing networks. WGO in particular has been a huge supporter and over the years has advocated for an increased representation of women in various committees.

We can see that women are quintessential harbingers of resilience and perseverance and it is time to challenge status quo and to embrace equity in leadership.