Now Reading: Women under-represented in eye health leadership globally
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Women under-represented in eye health leadership globally
Women account for 55% of the 1.1 billion people with vision loss worldwide, yet hold only 25-30% of ophthalmologist positions and 35-45% of training roles. A nationwide Indian survey found only 7.4%…
Women account for 55% of the 1.1 billion people with vision loss worldwide, yet hold only 25-30% of ophthalmologist positions and 35-45% of training roles. A nationwide Indian survey found only 7.4% of women ophthalmologists were heads of department, while 79.5% said motherhood interrupted their careers and 49% felt breaks affected their skill development.
The article by Orbis International leaders argues the gap is not about entry but progression, as women face uneven access to surgical volume, fellowships, research and leadership networks. It calls for sponsorship over mere mentorship, flexible digital training, and institutional changes including transparent promotion criteria and leadership pathways that account for career interruptions.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India's ophthalmology workforce mirrors a broader pattern across medicine: women enter in large numbers but stall at mid-career. The 7.4% head-of-department figure from the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology is stark against the 55% of patients who are women. The real stakes are in policy and service design: when leadership is male-dominated, eye-care systems may not prioritise conditions like cataract or diabetic retinopathy that disproportionately affect women. The article's call for sponsorship over mentorship echoes research in other fields showing active recommendation matters more than advice. The next signal to watch is whether major institutions like AIIMS or the All India Ophthalmological Society adopt transparent promotion criteria or set targets for women in departmental leadership.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
