By Tracy Irura, MD
As we mark international women’s day 2024, I am privileged to sit in a room full of women navigating leadership positions in healthcare in Kenya. This is an event put together by Strathmore Business School and Kenya Healthcare Federation under the theme “Inspiring gender inclusion: empowering leaders, bridging gaps”.
It is critical to strengthen women’s representation in global health leadership as women dominate the health care consumer market. Therefore, having more women leaders who understand care-seekers’ needs, experiences, and perspectives can increase innovation and business opportunities. When women hold health leadership positions, they prioritize the needs of marginalized groups and allocate enough resources to research on women’s health issues, family welfare, gender equality issues, education, and nutrition. Data suggests that increased female leadership in Kenya’s health sector is critical to addressing pressing public health issues, such as high maternal and child mortality, a high burden of infectious disease, misuse of healthcare resources, neonatal diseases, malaria, HIV, and even cancer.
Though progress has been made in promoting women to health leadership roles in Africa, this has been far too slow. Women in healthcare across Kenya primarily work in nursing and midwifery, with very few in positions of leadership, an indication of a female dominated sector almost entirely controlled by men. Kenya, despite its larger female population and a 2010 Constitution that promotes gender equality, our socio-political and economic leadership is male dominated. For example, women occupy 7 out of the 47 governorships, 27% of elective seats in parliament. A recent report by Women in Global Health (WGH) showed that women hold 42% of mid-level and 40% of top-level leadership positions in Kenya’s health sector.
Gendered barriers have a significant impact on Kenyan health workers’ career trajectories. For instance, women’s leadership styles are perceived to be reactive, emotive, and overly domineering, whereas men’s approaches are perceived to be calm and sober. These stereotypes reportedly influence appointments into health leadership positions in the country. Kenyan women health leaders interviewed reported that patriarchal attitudes, particularly those of their spouses, and the structure of the health sector inhibited them from advancing in their careers.
Gender-equitable leadership in the health sector is important in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), like Kenya, where health systems face complex challenges. Women’s leadership in health is more than just an issue of equity; it is the missing link that can help countries address public health problems more effectively. Kenya is making progress in addressing issues such as high fertility, low contraceptive prevalence, mortality under five years of age, low vaccination uptake, and limited access to skilled care. Stronger and more sustained women’s participation in health leadership in Kenya can expand these gains.
Leveraging the leadership potential, talents, wealth of experience, and skills of this upcoming generation of health professionals is key in tackling our health challenges. We all have a role to play in bridging the gaps by: