Industry News
Fred Hollows Foundation Supports Women Health Leaders from Southeast Asia in Australia
A cohort of 15 women health leaders from Southeast Asia is currently in Australia as part of the Women in Health Leadership Program - Mekong Region, a program funded by the Australian Government. The visit aims to enhance leadership capabilities and networks to address gender inequity in the health sector. The participants, representing Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand, will benefit from knowledge-sharing, leadership development, workshops, training, and networking opportunities provided by the Fred Hollows Foundation and Monash University’s Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI) throughout February.
As a significant component of their visit, the women will engage in the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership program at Monash University, which is tailored to fortify their leadership skills and create opportunities to bolster the health systems in their respective countries. This initiative is led by Dr. Mariam Mousa and Professor Helena Teede, and is designed to empower the participants and strengthen their influence within their healthcare systems.
The World Health Organization and Women in Global Health have highlighted the necessity for increased investment in women in health leadership. Despite constituting 70% of the global health workforce, women hold only 25% of influential decision-making positions. Professor Helena Teede emphasized the various obstacles that hinder women from influencing public health policy, healthcare service design, and driving better health outcomes. These barriers include the lack of investment in women’s leadership and mentoring, workplace bullying and sexual harassment, perpetuating norms and gender stereotypes, gender pay gap, and discrimination.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Global Advocacy Executive Director, Jennifer Gersbeck, expressed the organization's commitment to leveraging its influence to advocate for gender equity in health. She emphasized the Foundation's dedication to supporting women's leadership in the health sector, citing the joint effort with UN Women to launch a policy brief aimed at accelerating progress towards gender equity in eye health.
The Women in Health Leadership Program - Mekong Region is a testament to the Australian Government's commitment to fostering leadership and gender equity in the health sector. The program not only aligns with successful policy initiatives such as the National Women’s Health Council and Women’s Economic Equality Task Force but also reflects the government's dedication to sharing its leadership efforts.
The collaboration between the Fred Hollows Foundation, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Women in Global Health - Australia, and the Australian Government exemplifies a collective determination to cultivate stronger and more inclusive health leadership in the region.