Framing the Issue
The statistics speak for themselves: global health needs more women leaders. And that requires organizations to celebrate how women lead differently as well as the different dimensions of their lives – as parents, community organizers, church leaders, mentors, and so much more.
"Organizations still value directive leadership, rather than inspirational or participatory leadership styles," said Athalia Christie, senior science advisor at the CDC Center for Global Health, during a December panel discussion titled, “Leadership in Global Health: Making 2019 the Year of the Woman.”
With women being 70 percent of the global health workforce, it arguably already is the “year of the woman” in global health and has been for quite some time. But that’s not the case when it comes to leadership - a key reason why improving gender parity in global health is a key focus area for Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources (STAR).
During the panel, hosted by the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, it wasn’t lost on attendees that most discussions on this topic are happening in rooms full of...other women. In order to advance women’s leadership in the sector, they agreed we need men at the table, and we need more intersectional approaches. Panelists shared three ways to make 2019 the year of the woman at all levels of leadership in global health.
#1. Be Intentional About Mentorship
The importance of mentorship was a major theme at the recent Women Leaders in Global Health (WLGH) conference in London.
While mentorship isn’t always structured or formal, the mentee should be intentional about personality match and the types of mentors they need to succeed, said Lanice Williams, advocacy and partnerships manager at Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
“As a young professional, I look for three categories of mentors – someone established, someone who is an emerging leader, and someone who is about to establish their career,” said Williams.
Dr. Tom Quinn of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Global Health (one of STAR’s Project partners) said mentees should consider, “will this person put me above themselves?”
“Someone who is working toward a promotion or getting published may not be able to do that,” he said.
It may seem obvious, but Christie reminded attendees that they should seek a variety of mentors. Before pursuing what she affectionately calls a “midlife crisis doctorate” in public health, she consulted her mentors for advice. “Most of my male mentors said, ‘you have a senior leadership position and could have any job you want – why get a doctorate in public health?’
Her female mentor had a different perspective. “She told me, ‘you work at CDC and they [your male mentors] are all MDs. They have no idea what it’s like to be a woman employee of CDC without a doctorate.’ And she helped me decide to go and supported it,” said Christie. “I adore and revere all my male mentors, but for that piece of advice maybe they weren’t the ones I needed to be hearing from. I encourage you to seek mentorship from a wide variety of people. Even if they don’t share your specific experience, that doesn’t mean they can’t give you great advice.”
#2. Step Aside and Pass the Mic
Global health is one of many sectors to denounce “manels” (all-male panels) at conferences. That’s long overdue, one attendee remarked, but it means little if we’re hearing from “the same people from the same agencies and organizations.” She asked panelists how they’re “stepping aside” and creating space for new and intersectional voices, especially young women and women of color.
As an adjunct lecturer at Howard University, Williams said her version of stepping aside is finding growth opportunities for her students, whether that’s passing on speaking invitations to them or identifying authorship opportunities.
Dr. Quinn also urged global health professionals with board positions to know when to pass the torch and realize you’ve taken something as far as it can go.
“Instead of running for that board position again, get on the nominating committee – and advocate for a woman to take that seat,” said Dr. Quinn.
#3. Find Men Who Are Part of the Solution – Not the Problem
“You don’t have to be a woman to stand with women to move the world forward,” said Ellen Starbird, director of USAID's Office of Population and Reproductive Health, in closing remarks.
The panelists agreed that men can play a key role in advancing women’s leadership by serving as mentors. But male mentors shouldn’t miss the opportunity to listen and learn from women, because mentorship goes both ways.
Dr. Quinn said being one of the few men in the room at the London WLGH was a humbling and formative experience. Men don’t necessarily have to be speakers, he said, because, well, #NoMoreManels, but they should actively attend events like WLGH for their continued education.
“Men who come to these meetings need to be sensitized that they need to be more proactive for their mentees. They need to understand how to give advice that’s constructive, not destructive.”
Whether your mentor is a man or a woman, they should be purposeful in sharing their knowledge, their networks, and their influence at decision-making tables.
When asked what good mentorship looks like, panelists agreed that it goes beyond career advancement and compensation. Helping women in global health address things like professional identity, work-family life, and building resilience.
Echoing remarks from WLGH, they proclaimed, “let today’s glass ceiling be tomorrow’s bottom rung.” By mentoring with intention, passing the mic, and mobilizing a few good men, we’re getting closer to leadership that’s a mirror image of the global health workforce.
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To continue the conversation about women's leadership in global health, follow us on Twitter @GHSTAR_Project. Check out archived tweets from the CSIS event at #CSISLive.
