Dorothy Shaw: promoting women's sexual and reproductive rights

Abstract

Women lag behind men in academic leadership positions worldwide, and, according to a recent study, North America fares worse than some other countries in Europe and Latin America (Arthritis Rheum 2005; 52: 697–706). For Dorothy Shaw, the findings are discouraging, but not surprising. As Associate Dean, Equity and Clinical Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia, Canada, she says she has observed this first-hand: “In academic life, we don't see women in nearly the numbers we would expect in medicine and other areas, which is a concern. Furthermore, at a leadership level, certainly in academia, the percentage of women leaders is also low.”For more than three decades, Shaw has campaigned for women's health and human rights, while making her own way up the ranks of the medical and academic worlds she straddles. In 2003, she became the first woman to be unanimously nominated and approved as the next president of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO); she will take office in 2006.Shaw has been Canada's representative on FIGO's Executive Board since 2000, as well as Chair of its Committee on Women's Reproductive and Sexual Rights. “Through gentle and persistent persuasion she has brought FIGO to consider itself as promoting gender equality and women's health”, says André Lalonde, a colleague and Executive Vice-President at the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC). Back at home, Shaw has bred a culture of equality. “As president of SOGC in 1992 she was instrumental in developing a whole group of men and women who are sensitive to gender equality, and she became a great role model for many men and women in Canada”, says Lalonde. Shaw also spearheaded positive changes to Canadian policy on women's reproductive rights, says Lalonde: “she worked hard to defeat a government bill to impose restrictions on abortion; because of this, the issue is strictly between a doctor and a woman, and thus, without restrictions”.Gentle persuasion defines Shaw's approach to pushing the envelope. “During a 6-month internship [after graduating from medical school] in Edinburgh, women weren't allowed to wear pants in the ward”, she recalls. “But I managed to get that changed.” How? She just asked the consultant if it would be acceptable, since trousers were more practical.Shaw embarked on her career in obstetrics and gynaecology—her eventual subspecialty was perinatology—at a time when there were few women working in this field. Still, she pressed on, believing that women deserved more informed medical care. “I wanted women to understand what was happening to them or being done to their bodies. It was not acceptable that they didn't know”, she says. After studying medicine in Edinburgh, UK, Shaw emigrated to Canada, because she found “the UK system at the time was very paternalistic, and not an encouraging place for an independently minded woman”. In Canada, she “saw an opportunity to practise more independently”.As an international advocate for women's sexual and reproductive rights, Shaw has travelled throughout the world. “Travel has been a longstanding passion of mine. But I've always known that while the world was a fascinating, beautiful place, there are preventable health problems too, so I had a dual interest to explore and learn in order to help.”A key influence in bringing women's sexual and reproductive rights to the forefront of FIGO's agenda, Shaw “was one of the main forces behind the creation of the Study Group on Sexual and Reproductive Rights and its evolution to a formal FIGO Committee”, explains Anibal Faúndes, current Chair of that committee. The committee's work led Shaw to co-author a draft of FIGO's professional code of ethics to address women's reproductive health and gender issues. “She brought this to the FIGO World Congress (Santiago, Chile, 2003) where the code was adopted unanimously, and she is involved now in getting countries to sign on this document”, says Lalonde. “It is highly significant, because it is an instrument that we at FIGO are already using to put gentle pressure on the national societies, to act in the promotion and defence of women's rights, when we are aware that they are being violated”, explains Faúndes.Shaw says that the document highlights the roles of professional organisations, “since you need to bring about change in professional bodies to bring about change in practice”. Trying to change health-care systems alone in developing nations is not enough, she adds. “It really begins with political will—change has to be at a governmental level, not only by creating punitive laws for such issues as prenatal sex determination, but developing policies that will result in positive changes.” Shaw also believes that “Cultural attitudes need to shift too, because until women's lives are valued, nothing changes. Women die because they're poor and their lives aren't valued. People need to realise that it's possible to preserve culture while treating women well.”A mother of three daughters, now all at university, Shaw says, “I'm glad knowing that they don't have to fight, or see some of the issues I saw. They see the world as being completely open to them.” As for fighting her own uphill battle, Shaw confidently asserts, “There were challenges along the way, but they never stopped me from pursuing a path that matched my skills and passion.” Women lag behind men in academic leadership positions worldwide, and, according to a recent study, North America fares worse than some other countries in Europe and Latin America (Arthritis Rheum 2005; 52: 697–706). For Dorothy Shaw, the findings are discouraging, but not surprising. As Associate Dean, Equity and Clinical Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia, Canada, she says she has observed this first-hand: “In academic life, we don't see women in nearly the numbers we would expect in medicine and other areas, which is a concern. Furthermore, at a leadership level, certainly in academia, the percentage of women leaders is also low.” For more than three decades, Shaw has campaigned for women's health and human rights, while making her own way up the ranks of the medical and academic worlds she straddles. In 2003, she became the first woman to be unanimously nominated and approved as the next president of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO); she will take office in 2006. Shaw has been Canada's representative on FIGO's Executive Board since 2000, as well as Chair of its Committee on Women's Reproductive and Sexual Rights. “Through gentle and persistent persuasion she has brought FIGO to consider itself as promoting gender equality and women's health”, says André Lalonde, a colleague and Executive Vice-President at the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC). Back at home, Shaw has bred a culture of equality. “As president of SOGC in 1992 she was instrumental in developing a whole group of men and women who are sensitive to gender equality, and she became a great role model for many men and women in Canada”, says Lalonde. Shaw also spearheaded positive changes to Canadian policy on women's reproductive rights, says Lalonde: “she worked hard to defeat a government bill to impose restrictions on abortion; because of this, the issue is strictly between a doctor and a woman, and thus, without restrictions”. Gentle persuasion defines Shaw's approach to pushing the envelope. “During a 6-month internship [after graduating from medical school] in Edinburgh, women weren't allowed to wear pants in the ward”, she recalls. “But I managed to get that changed.” How? She just asked the consultant if it would be acceptable, since trousers were more practical. Shaw embarked on her career in obstetrics and gynaecology—her eventual subspecialty was perinatology—at a time when there were few women working in this field. Still, she pressed on, believing that women deserved more informed medical care. “I wanted women to understand what was happening to them or being done to their bodies. It was not acceptable that they didn't know”, she says. After studying medicine in Edinburgh, UK, Shaw emigrated to Canada, because she found “the UK system at the time was very paternalistic, and not an encouraging place for an independently minded woman”. In Canada, she “saw an opportunity to practise more independently”. As an international advocate for women's sexual and reproductive rights, Shaw has travelled throughout the world. “Travel has been a longstanding passion of mine. But I've always known that while the world was a fascinating, beautiful place, there are preventable health problems too, so I had a dual interest to explore and learn in order to help.” A key influence in bringing women's sexual and reproductive rights to the forefront of FIGO's agenda, Shaw “was one of the main forces behind the creation of the Study Group on Sexual and Reproductive Rights and its evolution to a formal FIGO Committee”, explains Anibal Faúndes, current Chair of that committee. The committee's work led Shaw to co-author a draft of FIGO's professional code of ethics to address women's reproductive health and gender issues. “She brought this to the FIGO World Congress (Santiago, Chile, 2003) where the code was adopted unanimously, and she is involved now in getting countries to sign on this document”, says Lalonde. “It is highly significant, because it is an instrument that we at FIGO are already using to put gentle pressure on the national societies, to act in the promotion and defence of women's rights, when we are aware that they are being violated”, explains Faúndes. Shaw says that the document highlights the roles of professional organisations, “since you need to bring about change in professional bodies to bring about change in practice”. Trying to change health-care systems alone in developing nations is not enough, she adds. “It really begins with political will—change has to be at a governmental level, not only by creating punitive laws for such issues as prenatal sex determination, but developing policies that will result in positive changes.” Shaw also believes that “Cultural attitudes need to shift too, because until women's lives are valued, nothing changes. Women die because they're poor and their lives aren't valued. People need to realise that it's possible to preserve culture while treating women well.” A mother of three daughters, now all at university, Shaw says, “I'm glad knowing that they don't have to fight, or see some of the issues I saw. They see the world as being completely open to them.” As for fighting her own uphill battle, Shaw confidently asserts, “There were challenges along the way, but they never stopped me from pursuing a path that matched my skills and passion.”