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New research maps the barriers holding women back from leadership in global health

Prime Highlights

  • Marr Chung said challenging gender roles and biases at every level is urgent, especially with the rise of toxic masculinity and AI’s threat to women.
  • Barry said most men want to support women colleagues but often lack the practical tools to do so.

Key Facts

  • WomenLift Health, founded by Dr. Michele Barry, is a nonprofit advancing women into global health leadership.
  • Women hold only 25% of leadership roles despite making up nearly 70% of the global health workforce.

Background

A new study published in PLOS Global Public Health highlights the barriers women face in reaching leadership roles in global health and makes a case for structured male allyship as a key solution. Researchers from Stanford’s Center for Innovation in Global Health led the work, funded by WomenLift Health.

Women compose approximately 70 % of the worldwide health workforce, yet they occupy only 25 % of executive roles. The study’s authors assert that structural barriers create the existing gap because women face greater responsibilities for unpaid and invisible work, which researchers refer to as the “second shift” phenomenon.

Amanda Marr Chung, executive director of CIGH, said she experienced this firsthand while finalising the manuscript itself, simultaneously coordinating a carpooling schedule with five other mothers. She said the moment reflected exactly what the research was documenting.

The study draws on qualitative interviews with 21 global health leaders across the United States and Canada. Researchers came up with practical recommendations to be adopted by the male allies at three levels. On the personal level, they propose self-evaluation, competent mentoring and social activism. On an institutional level, they suggest allyship training, open objectives and workplaces, and collaborative work. On the societal level, they demand early learning and joint child-rearing to change the culture.

Michele Barry, director of CIGH and founder of WomenLift Health, said male allyship emerged as a crucial factor and that most men want to support women colleagues but often lack the tools to do so effectively.

The authors plan to expand the research to mid-career African physicians and broaden the study through a global survey.