AMA Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership (AWHL) Partnership
"Equity and diversity in leadership is important. It leads to improved and more equitable health, social justice and healthcare outcomes, a more empowered workforce, improved motivation, reduced attrition, improved quality of care, and organisational performance." (1, 2).
In 2021, the AMA entered into a four-year partnership to support the Advancing women in healthcare leadership (AWHL) national initiative. The aim of the initiative is to deliver coproduced, evidence-based organisational and system change to advance women in healthcare leadership.
The initial AWHL initiative was funded by the NHMRC in 2019 and has grown to a $5 million dollar national initiative with 21 partners (inclusive of the AMA) across professional, medical and nursing colleges, industrial bodies, leading health services, government, and academia.
The AMA is working in partnership with the initiative to map, co-design, provide evidence, undertake stakeholder engagement, and develop a plan to support the AMA to achieve gender equity within its leadership and representative structures.
The AWHL has interviewed key AMA leaders and surveyed members to inform a priority setting workshop which will engage a broad selection of AMA members in setting priority and action areas to advance women in healthcare leadership at the AMA.
The AMA is represented on the AWHL Steering Committee and participates in the member organisation Community of Practice.
More recently the AWHL attended the AMA trainee forum to discuss gender equity in medicine and training.
Find out more about equity, inclusion and diversity at the AMA.
1. World Health Organization. Delivered by women, led by men: a gender and equity analysis of the global health and social workforce. Geneva, 2019.
2. Cassells R, Duncan A. Gender equity insights 2020: Delivering the business outcomes. BCEC. WGEA Gender Equity Series, Issue No 5. Mar 2020.
