Women and Global Health Leadership

Introduction

Women represent the majority of people working to improve health outcomes in communities, non-governmental and multilateral organizations, both as paid and unpaid health and social care workers. So why is it that when it comes to leadership positions, we have a governance system that privileges men and what can we do to redress the imbalance? This ground-breaking collection explores the leadership roles that women hold in global health, teasing out the routes women have taken to leadership, the challenges they have faced, and what has facilitated their journey. It brings to the fore the stories of women on the frontlines of this struggle from around the world, highlighting and complementing these stories with theoretical and analytical explorations of the structures and systems that help or hinder the process. Among the topics explored:

• Gendered Institutions in Global Health
• Gender, Peace, and Health: Promoting Human Security with Women’s Leadership
• Academic Journal Publishing: A Pathway to Global Health Leadership
• Women in Health Systems Leadership: Demystifying the Labyrinth
• Women’s Leadership in Global Health: Evolution Will Not Bring Equality

The book is a rallying call to arms to redress gender inequality and celebrate the many ways in which women are taking the lead in supporting the health of their communities internationally.  

Women and Global Health Leadership is a must-read for those working in or studying global health. It is also a primer that aims to support other women in their efforts and struggles to succeed in a highly unfair and unequal world. The book will engage ministers of health, policy-makers, practitioners, academicians, students, researchers, healthcare workers, health service managers, and members of multilateral organizations. By highlighting key barriers and facilitators to women in global health leadership, organizations can use this book to help inform the development of institutional policies and procedures to support women in leadership positions across academic, health workforce, and global health governance systems. It also can be used within postgraduate courses focusing on the global heath workforce, leadership and management, and women’s studies.