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Protecting and advancing gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare leadership is not only a moral imperative — it is essential to the health, resilience, and effectiveness of our workforce and systems.
Healthcare is one of Australia’s largest employment sectors and is notably feminised, with women comprising approximately 75% of the workforce. Yet, women continue to experience slow career progression and remain underrepresented in leadership and key decision-making roles (here, here and here). The barriers to women’s advancement in healthcare leadership are well-documented and include reduced capacity due to career disruptions and caregiving responsibilities that disproportionately affect women, credibility challenges associated with gendered assumptions about leadership, and a lack of transparency in promotion and advancement processes (here and here). These barriers persist largely due to a historical emphasis on individual-level interventions, rather than solutions to address the organisational and systemic structures that shape career trajectories. Moreover, efforts have often focused on identifying problems, rather than implementing evidence-based organisational and policy or system level solutions.
To accelerate progress, a paradigm shift is needed — one that moves responsibility from individuals to collective, system-wide action. This requires coordinated, evidence-informed approaches that engage key stakeholders across sectors, including policy-makers, healthcare organisations, academic institutions, and professional bodies. Only through collaborative, structural reform can we create inclusive environments that support and sustain women’s leadership across the healthcare system.
The Partnership Centre for Gender Equity and Leadership Advancement
The Partnership Centre for Gender Equity and Leadership Advancement (The Centre) is a Monash University-led partnership, research and translation centre. Initially formed with nine founding partners in 2020, it has since expanded to a national collaboration of 28 organisations, including government agencies, public and private health services, professional associations, industry bodies, medical research institutes, academic institutions, training organisations, and not-for-profit organisations. The Centre is dedicated to driving measurable progress in gender equity and leadership across the healthcare and health and medical sciences sectors.
Funded by two National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Partnership Grants and partner contributions, the Centre is hosted by the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI) and Monash University, which holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award. This internationally recognised framework supports institutions to advance gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education and research, particularly in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). The Centre integrates the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership (AWHL) national initiative and the long-standing leadership development program.
Guided by a shared vision and values, The Centre works in close collaboration with its partners to coproduce and implement evidence-based interventions, tailored strategies, and robust evaluations.
In recognition of our shared commitment to advancing gender equity in healthcare leadership, we present this unified position statement to articulate a clear, collective stance on promoting gender equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Australian healthcare sector.
Position Statement
Australia has made significant strides in advancing gender equity, diversity, and inclusion (GEDI). These achievements are reflected in national legislation (here, here and here), targeted investment (here and here), and measurable improvements in policy representation and leadership as reflected in the World Economic Forum Reports (Figure 1). Initiatives such as the Working for Women Strategy and the Gender Equality Act have laid a strong foundation for systemic change, reinforcing Australia’s commitment to fairness, social justice, and inclusive leadership.
Efforts to embed GEDI in leadership are proven to deliver tangible benefits — enhancing organisational performance, improving ethical engagement, strengthening risk management, creating more equitable career pathways for women and underrepresented groups, and improving women’s health outcomes (here, here and here). In healthcare, Australia’s progress is a testament to the collective leadership and sustained advocacy of policy makers, health organisations, professionals, and communities across Australia.
However, this momentum must be safeguarded. International policy shifts undermining GEDI developments have shown how quickly gains can be reversed, with rising discontinuation of inclusive practices and policies threatening equity, workforce wellbeing, and institutional integrity (here, here and here).
Australia is not immune to these international developments. We must remain vigilant and proactive. Protecting and advancing GEDI, including in healthcare, is not only a moral imperative — it is essential to the health, resilience, and effectiveness of our workforce and systems.
As advocates and champions of GEDI, the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership initiative and our Partners call on all health organisations, leaders, and policymakers to:
- reaffirm their commitment to GEDI principles and inclusive policies and practices;
- invest in and implement evidence-based strategies that promote gender equity and inclusion; and
- collaborate across sectors to drive lasting, measurable change.
While this statement focuses on the advancement of women in healthcare leadership, we acknowledge that transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse people also face significant barriers and discrimination in the health workforce. Many of the principles outlined here are relevant to broader gender equity efforts.
Together, we can ensure that Australia remains a global leader in gender equity, diversity, and inclusion — building a health system that is fairer, safer, and stronger for all.
Helena Teede AM PhD MBBS FRACP FAAHMS FRANZCOG FRCOG is Professor of Women’s Health of Implementation, Impact and Equity at Monash University, Melbourne. She is also a practising endocrinologist and leads the Partnership Centre for Gender Equality and Leadership Advancement at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Monash University.
Belinda Garth PhD BHSc(Hons) is a Senior Research Fellow and Translation Lead of the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership national initiative, based within the Partnership Centre for Gender Equality and Leadership Advancement at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Monash University, Melbourne.
Wafa El-Adhami GAICD PhD MSc BSc is Senior Gender Equity Policy and Advocacy Engagement at the Partnership Centre for Gender Equality and Leadership Advancement at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Monash University, Melbourne.
This Position Statement is presented by the authors on behalf of the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership initiative and partners, including: The Australian Medical Association, Monash Health, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, Metro South Health, Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, Australian College of Midwives, Australian College of Nursing, Australian Federation of Medical Women, Australian National University, Australian Nursing & Midwifery Clinical Trials Network, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, Cabrini Health, Eastern Health, Fred Hollows Foundation, Monash University, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Gynaecologists, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Science in Australia Gender Equity, University College Dublin, University of Glasgow, Victorian Department of Health, University of Warwick.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Read the full Position Statement here.
The statements or opinions expressed in this article reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy of the AMA, the MJA or InSight+ unless so stated.
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