Trenell J Mosley, Rachel A. Zajdel, Ethel Alderete, Janine A. Clayton, Shirin Heidari, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, Karen Salt, Marie A. Bernard
The Lancet – January 13, 2025
Enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the scientific and healthcare workforces∗ promotes research innovation and equitable access to quality healthcare. Efforts to advance DEI within the global scientific and healthcare workforces have assumed a new urgency given the strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the aging of the global population, and the persistent shortages in the healthcare workforce, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Yet, these fields continue to struggle to promote DEI. Considering the impact of intersectionality—how multiple identities interact to create unique experiences of privilege and power—within these workforces will enhance efforts to promote DEI. This series explores the impact of intersectionality on scientific and healthcare workforce DEI and how prominent institutional and structural factors (e.g., sexism and racism), as well as their interpersonal manifestations, can create barriers for workers with multiple intersecting marginalised identities. This paper, the first in a three-part series, describes how intersecting identities interact with workplace inequities and suggests ways to incorporate intersectionality into DEI efforts within the scientific and healthcare workforces.
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming GEH Network meeting on 4 February 2025, at 17:00 CET. We’ll be hosting an intimate conversation with Sophie Harman, author of Sick of It. This timely discussion promises to offer fresh insights and opportunities for learning, connecting, and building momentum for collective feminist action. Whether you’ve read the book or are curious to learn more, this is a unique chance to engage with thought-provoking ideas and connect with a vibrant community.
🌟 This session is open to non-members, so feel free to share the invitation! 📅 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dH5hxdZD
The session, titled “A Pathway to Change,” explored the critical role of the SAGER Guidelines in addressing gender bias in research and driving systemic change toward a more gender-responsive research ecosystem. Dr. Heidari shared the story behind the development of these essential guidelines, offering valuable insights into how they aim to close the gender data gap and contribute to achieving #HealthForAll.
The event brought together professionals and advocates passionate about advancing gender equity in research, sparking engaging conversations on actionable pathways to create an inclusive and equitable global health landscape.
A big thank you to all participants for joining this inspiring session and contributing to the dialogue on building a fairer, more inclusive research ecosystem.
We were thrilled to host Professor Sara (Meg) Davis from the Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP) at the University of Warwick and James Kiilu from the University of Nairobi, who presented a preview of their forthcoming report, “Towards People-Centered Digital Health Strategies: Gender, Equity, Rights, and Inclusion.”
This event offered a fantastic opportunity to delve into critical discussions around digital health strategies and their implications for gender and rights. Attendees explored the importance of inclusive approaches that promote equity and inclusion in digital health.
As part of GENDRO’s GEH Network, this session brought together actors from academia, civil society, UN agencies, and other entities to share the latest developments and discuss opportunities to promote the integration of sex and gender dimensions in research, innovation, data analysis, health policies, and programs.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this impactful discussion. Together, we continue to foster dialogue and collaboration to advance equity and rights in digital health!
Despite the growing rhetoric around women’s health, the increasing recognition of gender bias in health research and data, and the seeming rallying behind gender equality, why does progress towards gender equality and equity in health remain so slow, fragmented, and fragile? This question is at the heart of Sophie Harman’s Sick of It: The Global Fight for Women’s Health.
Harman presents many real-life examples to illustrate how women’s health is exploited “as a means of attaining and sustaining power in the world”. She challenges this “sick politics” and examines “how using and abusing women’s health for political ends works and how it stops us making real strides in women’s health”. Notably, she proposes steps for driving change through solidarity politics.
