Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforce
Abstract Background An adequate and qualified health workforce is critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and responding to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Frontline health workers who are mainly women, play important roles in responses to crisis. Despite women making up the...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2019-08-01
|
| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-019-4424-3 |
| _version_ | 1831640115699515392 |
|---|---|
| author | Sreytouch Vong Bandeth Ros Rosemary Morgan Sally Theobald |
| author_facet | Sreytouch Vong Bandeth Ros Rosemary Morgan Sally Theobald |
| author_sort | Sreytouch Vong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background An adequate and qualified health workforce is critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and responding to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Frontline health workers who are mainly women, play important roles in responses to crisis. Despite women making up the vast majority of the health workforce, men occupy the majority of leadership positions. This study aims to understand the career progression of female health workers by exploring how gender norms influence women’s upward career trajectories. Methods A qualitative methodology deployed a life history approach was used to explore the perspectives and experiences of health workers in Battambang province, Cambodia. Twenty male and female health managers were purposively selected based five criteria: age 40 and above, starting their career during 1980s or 1990s, clinical skills, management roles and evidence of career progression. Themes and sub-themes were developed based on available data and informed by Tlaiss’s (2013) social theory framework in order to understand how gender norms, roles and relations shape the career of women in the health industry. Results The findings from life histories show that gender norms shape men’s and women’s career progression at different levels of society. At the macro level, social, cultural, political, and gender norms are favorably changing by allowing more women to enter medical education; however, leadership is bias towards men. At the meso organziational level, empowerment of women in the health sector has increased with the support of gender working groups and women’s associations. At the micro individual level, female facility managers identified capacity and qualifications as important factors in helping women to obtain leadership positions. Conclusion While Cambodia has made progress, it still has far to go to achieve equality in leadership. Promoting gender equity in leadership within the health workforce requires a long vision and commitment along with collaboration among different stakeholders and across social structures. If more women are not able to obtain leadership roles, the goals of having an equitable health system, promoting UHC, and responding to the SDGs milestones by leaving no one behind will remain unattainable objectives. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T12:01:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1d6471ba80a45b2a207ce051228316b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T12:01:08Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1d6471ba80a45b2a207ce051228316b2022-12-21T20:22:29ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632019-08-011911910.1186/s12913-019-4424-3Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforceSreytouch Vong0Bandeth Ros1Rosemary Morgan2Sally Theobald3ReBUILD/RinGs Consortia, CambodiaReBUILD/RinGs Consortia, CambodiaDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthDepartment of International Public Health, Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineAbstract Background An adequate and qualified health workforce is critical for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and responding to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Frontline health workers who are mainly women, play important roles in responses to crisis. Despite women making up the vast majority of the health workforce, men occupy the majority of leadership positions. This study aims to understand the career progression of female health workers by exploring how gender norms influence women’s upward career trajectories. Methods A qualitative methodology deployed a life history approach was used to explore the perspectives and experiences of health workers in Battambang province, Cambodia. Twenty male and female health managers were purposively selected based five criteria: age 40 and above, starting their career during 1980s or 1990s, clinical skills, management roles and evidence of career progression. Themes and sub-themes were developed based on available data and informed by Tlaiss’s (2013) social theory framework in order to understand how gender norms, roles and relations shape the career of women in the health industry. Results The findings from life histories show that gender norms shape men’s and women’s career progression at different levels of society. At the macro level, social, cultural, political, and gender norms are favorably changing by allowing more women to enter medical education; however, leadership is bias towards men. At the meso organziational level, empowerment of women in the health sector has increased with the support of gender working groups and women’s associations. At the micro individual level, female facility managers identified capacity and qualifications as important factors in helping women to obtain leadership positions. Conclusion While Cambodia has made progress, it still has far to go to achieve equality in leadership. Promoting gender equity in leadership within the health workforce requires a long vision and commitment along with collaboration among different stakeholders and across social structures. If more women are not able to obtain leadership roles, the goals of having an equitable health system, promoting UHC, and responding to the SDGs milestones by leaving no one behind will remain unattainable objectives.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-019-4424-3Gender equityHealth workforceLeadershipLife historyCambodia |
| spellingShingle | Sreytouch Vong Bandeth Ros Rosemary Morgan Sally Theobald Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforce BMC Health Services Research Gender equity Health workforce Leadership Life history Cambodia |
| title | Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforce |
| title_full | Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforce |
| title_fullStr | Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforce |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforce |
| title_short | Why are fewer women rising to the top? A life history gender analysis of Cambodia’s health workforce |
| title_sort | why are fewer women rising to the top a life history gender analysis of cambodia s health workforce |
| topic | Gender equity Health workforce Leadership Life history Cambodia |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-019-4424-3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sreytouchvong whyarefewerwomenrisingtothetopalifehistorygenderanalysisofcambodiashealthworkforce AT bandethros whyarefewerwomenrisingtothetopalifehistorygenderanalysisofcambodiashealthworkforce AT rosemarymorgan whyarefewerwomenrisingtothetopalifehistorygenderanalysisofcambodiashealthworkforce AT sallytheobald whyarefewerwomenrisingtothetopalifehistorygenderanalysisofcambodiashealthworkforce |