Women’s Leadership studies in Health Care – a European perspective

Abstract

This study, made for the Women in Global Health Finnish chapter, aimed to map the themes currently being researched in women’s leadership in health care, in Europe. It also aimed to find the main obstacles in conducting research on the topic, and the strengths of it. While women form the majority of the health care workforce, the leadership positions are still vastly occupied by men. In the health sector, the “leaky pipeline” phenomenon persists, with women being less likely to advance into leadership positions despite their strong presence in the workforce. Barriers include career disruptions due to external responsibilities, persistent credibility biases, and assumptions about their capability and confidence in leadership roles. While men and women progress similarly in early medical careers, women are more likely to experience career interruptions related to family responsibilities, hindering their professional advancement. Additionally, roles in nursing, midwifery, and social care - fields dominated by women - are often undervalued also economically as “women’s work” and seen as the gender pay gap.

This scoping review brought to light that the themes researched in Europe considering women’s leadership and career advancement in health care, are relevant and findings are in line with the current global research. In addition, the challenges of conducting research on the topic come from lack of comparable baseline data, preventing longevity in recognizing and predicting gender equity trends. This study reinforced that contributing into informed decision making through research and advocacy, is important and relevant. The results imply that it is even more important when health care structures are going through organizational reform and change, to avoid losing the already achieved gender equality.

Despite European and global efforts on closing the gender gap in health care leadership, today’s global political situation and changes in health care structures in Europe call for informed decision-making for policy-makers and health care leaders. Gender equity in healthcare leadership leads to a full utilization of valuable talent and experience, elevated morale, lower workforce sustainability costs, and positive consequences for healthcare policies affecting women and children and the whole society around them.

Keywords: Women’s leadership, health care, scoping review