Gender equality in the health workforce

ICRW is excited to share a new BMJ Collection focused on analysing a range of factors driving equality of opportunity for women’s careers in the health sector with a special focus on India and Kenya. It is a collaborative effort between Global Health 50/50,  the African Population and Health Research Center, and the International Center for Research on Women.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, the research highlights:

❇ The role of law in driving organizational change
❇ The impact of gendered occupational segregation on career choices
❇ The importance of transforming social norms to enhance women’s advancement and equity in the health sector

A review of inequalities in the health workforces in both countries is complemented by new analysis of health organisations, available laws and policies that promote (or hinder) women’s equality in the workforce, and by the views of women working in the health sector. With application for India and Kenya, as well as other geographies worldwide, this collection adopts a multidisciplinary lens to highlight the role of law in pushing for organisational change, shows the impact of gendered occupational segregation on career choices, and reveals the role played by social norms on career outcomes.

List of articles in the BMJ collection

Pathways to leadership: what accounts for women’s (in)equitable career paths in the health sectors in India and Kenya? A scoping review

Naomi Saville and colleagues examine how women in India and Kenya’s health sectors face multiple impediments in their careers, which impact their advancement to leadership.

Legislation for advancing women’s leadership in the health sector in India and Kenya: a ‘law cube’ approach to identify ways to strengthen legal environments for gender equality

Mireille Evagora-Campbell and colleagues examine the availability of legal provisions, or the lack thereof, that support women to progress equitably into leadership positions within the health workforce in India and Kenya.

Strengthening systems of accountability for women’s leadership in the health sector

Accountability can improve equal opportunities for women’s career progression and it must be strengthened in the health sector, argue Kent Buse and colleagues.

Dismantling the structures of inequality: why we need feminist leadership in the health sector

Approaches to increasing women’s representation in senior leadership need to go beyond individual empowerment and adopt principles of social justice, argue Sarah Hawkes and Rama Baru.

Health systems in India: analysing barriers to inclusive health leadership through a gender lens

Using India as a case study, Jasmine Gideon and colleagues argue that considering how gender perspectives operate within health systems and society can help achieve more inclusive health leadership.