Slow progress on gender parity 'damaging to health systems' – ICN

The progress on gender pay parity revealed by a recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report is “unacceptably slow” and “damaging to our healthcare systems and wider economies”, according to the International Council of Nurses (ICN).

The 18th edition of the WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report shows that parity between men and women in terms of economic participation, education, health and political empowerment will take 134 years to achieve at the current rate of progress. 

The report shows that while half the economies included in the survey made incremental gains, globally the gender gap has only closed by 0.1% to 68.5% since last year.

The report says that the slow progress that had been made in women being hired into leadership roles is now starting to erode from a peak in 2022, and that as the global economy has cooled it is women who have been disproportionately affected, reinforcing the systemic issues that hold women back in the workplace.

The WEF report says governments and businesses must shift resources and mindsets to embrace gender parity as essential for sustainable growth, adding that it is only through collaboration and targeted interventions that a 50/50 world can be achieved.

ICN president Dr Pamela Cipriano said while nurses are no strangers to gender inequality, particularly in leadership roles, it must remain a priority issue.

“Nursing, as a female-dominated profession, is spearheading progress and opening up leadership opportunities for women which were not there in the past, but governments and employers need to commit additional resources to accelerate progress towards gender equity, including through investments in nursing education, jobs and particularly leadership roles, “Dr Cipriano said.

“Gender parity is not only the right thing to do, but also essential if we want our world to progress in a sustainable direction as defined by UHC2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.

“The current rate of progress towards gender parity is wholly unacceptable and damaging to our healthcare systems, communities and economies.”