Pharmacy Daily | Health systems lack female input

GLOBAL health systems are weaker than they should be due to a lack of female involvement in leadership, a US-based pharmacist believes.

Addressing an International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) webinar focused on "challenging the narrative on leadership in gender equity in the COVID-19 pandemic", Howard University College of Pharmacy Clinical Assistant Professor, Miranda Law, said "the narrative needs to change" when it comes to gender gaps in leadership and pay.

Law noted that World Health Organization (WHO) data showed close to 70% of the healthcare workforce is female, however 75% of leadership roles in the sector globally are held by men.

"As it currently stands the health systems [around the world] are not as strong as they should or could be," she said.

"Women do not have an equal say in the design of health policies and plans due to their lack of leadership roles.

"In the past we've all probably discussed health system strengthening as this broad over-arching idea, but in this current pandemic never has it been more important for us to make sure that each of our countries' health systems, our policies and our plans are functioning to the best of their ability, which isn't necessarily always the case in the present time."

Law added that gender inequity is causing a talent drain, with people eschewing career paths which do not fit in with gender norms.

"The current separation of roles based on gender drives both the pay gap between men and women, and can lead to loss of talent for those who do not pursue roles that their gender does not fit into," she said.

"The 2018 Gender Wage Report shows that around the world women are earning 20% less then men, and it has been like this for at least a decade.

"To even begin to fix this, gender norms and roles need to be broken down and the narrative needs to change."