Did you know that 70% of healthcare workers are women? According to the WHO (World Health Organization), doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and many other professionals provide care to patients on the front lines every day.

In addition to helping others, many are developing research that allows the field to be promoted. Such is the case for researcher and physiotherapist Cristina Baena, who is among the 25% of leadership positions held by women in healthcare settings.

Women at the forefront of healthcare take up more space every day – Photo: Freepik/ND

Baena coordinated an interdisciplinary research project involving more than 50 researchers from the Universitário Cajuru and Marcelino Champagnat hospitals in Curitiba, Parana, in partnership with PUCPR (Pontifical Catholic University of Parana) and other national and international institutions.

The study aimed to understand the behavior of Covid-19 in the acute phase and after hospital discharge. For Christina, women’s participation in science brings a contribution that goes beyond promoting health, well-being and genuine social justice.

“Each achievement highlights the importance of continuing to inspire women to pursue scientific careers, changing stereotypes about the profession and highlighting their accomplishments,” he says.

Nurse Vanessa Ramos has lost count of the patients she has seen in her two decades of working at the forefront of the healthcare system. Among the various challenges, she highlights that the biggest one was Covid-19.

Among the various problems, the nurse highlights that the biggest of them was Covid-19. Photo: Freepik/Disclosure/ND

“During the pandemic, our lives have been transformed every shift as we witnessed stories of struggle and emotional release,” says Marcelino Champagnat, coordinator of the hospital’s inpatient departments.

The facilitator also explains that it was necessary to create a task force and go through a rapid learning process that would bring care and management professionals together.

Social and cultural contexts are diverse, but there is much in common in the inspirations and challenges faced by women working in health care around the world.

For physician Lydia Zytynsky Moura, the desire to forge new paths was the inspiration to temporarily move to another country with her family to complete her PhD in heart failure at Harvard Medical School’s second largest hospital, Brigham and Women’s Health. Hospital in the USA.

“The combination of accumulated knowledge, scientific research and curiosity allows us to take new steps,” describes the coordinator of the cardiology sector at Universitário Cajuru and Marcelino Champagnat hospitals.

The coordinator says that women today are like that: they have shining eyes, they are pragmatic, agile and able to be cute and technical at the same time.

More space for them

With more representation in the overall numbers, the next battle could be for greater equality in leadership positions. Nowadays, many medical professionals stand out for their brilliant trajectory, inspiring others to believe and not give up on successful paths.

This does not require a long journey through time to understand that recent historical fact indicates the presence of women in leadership positions and in prominent areas.

As Lydia recalls, who saw few women in leadership positions during her academic career.

“My generation tried to loosen the chains and leave an important lesson for future women: you can do and achieve what you want without following the old patterns,” he says.

Each achievement highlights the importance of continuing to inspire women into scientific careers — Photo: Pixabay/Reproduction/ND

“The proportion of graduate students is larger than the proportion of men, but they are still a minority in leadership positions,” says Cristina Baena.

To change this scenario, the researcher believes that it is necessary to take into account the emotional abilities of female managers, while not forgetting to anticipate moments specific to their lives, especially motherhood.

“You can be a woman, a mother and an explorer, but you need a support group because it’s very difficult to do it alone,” says Christina. She herself faced raising a child during her studies in the master’s, doctoral and doctoral studies.

Vanessa notes that the presence of women in hospital management is important because they bring a careful eye and careful approach to institutions.

The most discussed topics inside and outside health care settings are gender equality and diversity in the world of work. Despite the obstacles they still face on a daily basis, some professionals are optimistic and believe that the future of leadership will be with women.

“Focused on purpose and authenticity are important points for girls who want to achieve equal professional opportunities. Brick by brick, you can build the foundation for an increasingly prosperous and egalitarian society,” concludes Cristina Baena.