Girl Power
There are numerous ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting women and men differently. I’ve written here about predominantly female health care workers and caregivers at a higher risk for the disease and the uptick in domestic violence directed to women during this crisis. In light of other disparities ranging from a greater percentage of women in jobs without protections like paid family and sick leave to a greater number of single mothers struggling to find childcare due to school closures, there is no doubt that women are facing unique hardships during this pandemic.
Reading about these challenges has me thinking about how we can prevent gender disparities in the impacts of future pandemics. I was surprised to learn that there are currently only 16 female heads of countries in the world. Looking into female leadership in the United States, I found that while 50.8% of the country is female, women comprise only 24% of Congress and 18% of governors. Furthermore, although more than 70% of health care workers are women, women occupy only 16% health care leadership positions. In U.S. medical institutions, where much of the COVID-19 research is occurring, women occupy only 18% of department chairs and 25% of full professors. Can we expect gender parity in the COVID-19 response if so few women are in charge?
In times of crisis, we rely on our leaders for guidance more than ever. Because leaders at academic institutions can affect the focus of research , greater diversity in these positions can bring new perspectives to investigation and promote inclusive academic efforts.
Research analyzing public bills passed by the U.S. House of Representatives suggests that as female representation increases, policy decisions reflect a greater focus on families, women, and minorities. Political and health care leaders are responsible for decisions that can temper the gender disparities in the impact of this pandemic, such as allocating funding for research into sex differences in the disease and ensuring protections for the majority female low-wage workforce during this time of financial insecurity. It was a federal law that mandated the inclusion of women in clinical trials and kickstarted efforts to narrow the knowledge gap resulting from the historical lack of women as subjects in medical research — efforts which Women’s Health Research at Yale is pioneering today.
Current female leaders have already proved themselves to be more than competent in directing COVID-19 response efforts. Countries with female heads, such as Germany, Slovakia, and Taiwan, have had successful public policy responses. Early action by leaders to implement social distancing and widespread testing has so far successfully controlled the virus and protected the health care systems in these countries. Of course, this is a small sample with many potentially confounding factors, but that’s the point. As our planet continues to face unprecedented challenges, new perspectives and approaches are more important than ever. By empowering women, we can free untapped leadership potential that can identify and implement effective and equitable solutions to future problems.
