Breaking down the barriers to achieving gender equity in healthcare leadership
The AMA continues to work towards equitable gender representation in healthcare leadership roles.
AMA leaders at both state/territory and federal levels joined together to progress work to achieve gender equity for women and diversity at the AMA and across the sector at a workshop held at the Federal AMA offices on 3 August 2023.
The workshop was facilitated by the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership national initiative, led by the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation and was influential in setting priorities to inform AMA’s future direction for achieving gender equity in its representative and leadership structures. Interviews with 17 AMA leaders and a survey of AMA members (completed by 542 members) identified evidence-based strategies to advance women in healthcare leadership – internally to the AMA and externally to the medical profession – and key opportunities for consideration.
Based on rigorous and evidence-based research, interventions to advance women in healthcare leadership were discussed and priorities identified to deliver gender equity outcomes for women at the AMA and the medical profession more broadly. These included a greater focus on education about the interplay between power, privilege, bias and merit, transparent monitoring and reporting on initiatives including gender targets, and promoting access to evidence-based leadership, mentoring and support for emerging women leaders.
AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the AMA was committed to achieving its gender diversity targets by 2024.
“The results of this workshop will further guide us as we work to deliver on our promise to drive gender equity for women across the AMA and beyond, and it has enormous support in the AMA federation, as demonstrated by the strong turnout,” Professor Robson said.
Professor Robson said the evidence for the benefits of having women in leadership roles was clear.
“The evidence is crystal clear that organisations increasing their share of women in leadership perform better overall and we are committed to increasing women’s representation in the AMA leadership and representation structure and promoting this across the medical profession.
“I look forward to advancing the priorities set by today’s workshop at the AMA as we strive to support women in leadership and to reach our overall gender diversity target of women holding 50 per cent of federal AMA representative positions and lead and advocate for equity more broadly.”
Read the AMA’s Diversity report – Gender 2022
Read about AMA Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership (AWHL) Partnership
Read about the AMA Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee
