Breaking Barriers to Leadership for Women in Medicine: Dr. Roopa Dhatt, Co-Founder of Women in Global Health

According to the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, women make up 70% of the global healthcare workforce but hold only about 25% of leadership positions. Our guest today on Raise the Line, Dr. Roopa Dhatt, has been a leading voice in the movement to correct that imbalance through co-founding an organization called Women in Global Health (WGH), which has established chapters in over 60 countries since it started a decade ago. Dr. Dhatt is also pursuing that agenda and addressing other pressing issues in healthcare as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum. “We’re changing the equation so women delivering health are also viewed and valued as leaders,” says the internal medicine physician and assistant professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Beyond leadership equity, Dr. Dhatt is also seeking to address systemic pay inequities and high levels of violence and harassment experienced by women in the health sector, issues that were highlighted in research conducted by WGH. Although WGH has seen high-level success influencing policy at the World Health Organization and United Nations, Dr. Dhatt says the heart of its success is local. “Women community health workers have begun to see themselves as leaders and the heroines of health in their communities. That’s profound change.” Join host Michael Carrese for a probing conversation that identifies the structural barriers blocking advancement for women and that explains why the health of communities and the planet depend on inclusive leadership.

Mentioned in this episode:

Women in Global Health

WHO Report: Delivered By Women, Led By Men

Dr. Roopa Dhatt on LinkedIn

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