Time for change: Women’s frontline position in health overlooked in leadership

Globally, women hold around 70% of health-worker jobs, over 80% of nursing and over 90% of midwifery roles and deliver the majority of unpaid care and domestic work in families and communities. If leadership roles were allocated proportionally (assuming that women and men have equal merit) then 70% of health sector leaders would be women. The reverse is true.

Building on reports from the World Health Organization, Women in Global Health conducted research to assess why just 25% of senior leadership positions in health are held by women. The research included deep dive case studies in Nigeria, Kenya and India to examine why women from the Global South, the primary focus of many global health organisations and programs, are underrepresented in global health leadership.