Introduction
In many ways, healthcare is an industry built and sustained by women. According to the WHO, women account for around two-thirds (67%) of the global health and social care workforce.1 But despite this, women remain underrepresented among senior healthcare leadership positions. Although well represented at junior management levels, the representation of women in healthcare drops in each successive career level, to a low of 32% among the C-suite.
When you consider that similar numbers of men and women enter the healthcare workforce with advanced degrees in life sciences and medicine, you gain a sense of the challenges that many women have faced – and often still do – in attaining senior positions.
The trend is at least heading in the right direction. In the pharmaceutical industry, the percentage of women leaders is projected to rise to 40% or higher by 2027, up from 28% in 2021.
Gender equality is not only ethically the right approach but makes good business sense too. Studies have shown that women can increase the financial performance of their organisations, improve access to diversity and inclusion, inspire and expand the talent pipeline, and promote wellbeing and motivation within their teams.
Gender equality is not only ethically the right approach but makes good business sense too. Studies have shown that women can increase the financial performance of their organisations, improve access to diversity and inclusion, inspire and expand the talent pipeline, and promote wellbeing and motivation within their teams.
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