“More Women in Leadership Increase the Diversity of Experiences and Priorities”
How equitable is our healthcare system, and what role does gender play in this context? Founded in 2021, the Round Table of Women in Healthcare brings together the voices of eleven organizations, including the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH). Together, they aim to increase the number of women in leadership positions and advance gender-equitable healthcare. In this interview, Prof. Dr. Sylvia Thun discusses where further action is needed and why fundamental change is necessary in the healthcare sector.
Why is it still necessary to increase the number of women in leadership positions in healthcare?
Women make up the majority of the workforce in many healthcare professions, yet they remain underrepresented in key leadership and decision-making bodies. As a result, important perspectives are missing when it comes to defining research priorities, designing healthcare structures, and developing digitalization strategies. More women in leadership increase the diversity of experiences and priorities. What matters is not that every woman automatically makes gender-sensitive decisions, but that leadership better reflects the diversity of the population and the workforce.
What does gender-equitable healthcare mean in concrete terms for patients?
Gender-equitable healthcare means that symptoms, diagnostics, treatment, medication dosages, and prevention are tailored to scientifically established differences. To achieve this, relevant data must be collected and analyzed in a standardized way. Patients benefit from earlier and more accurate diagnoses, more appropriate treatments, and fewer avoidable side effects. Gender-sensitive medicine is therefore not an optional add-on, but a quality criterion for safe healthcare.
Why does the Round Table call for a mandatory quota for leadership positions?
Voluntary commitments have so far failed to change existing structures sufficiently. A mandatory quota creates measurable targets, increases transparency, and accelerates the necessary change. It is not an end in itself, but a structural instrument for breaking down one-sided selection mechanisms. The goal is to create more diverse leadership teams, improve decision-making, and foster an organizational culture in which qualified women have equal opportunities to take on responsibility and shape the future of healthcare.