Perspectives of female medical faculty in Ethiopia on a leadership fellowship program.

Elizabeth Kvach,Heidi Busse,Cynthia Haq,James Conniff,Hiwot Abebaw,Bethlehem Yesehak

doi:10.5116/ijme.5985.f644

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aims to evaluate a leadership fellowship program through perspectives of Ethiopian women medical faculty participants. MethodsAn intensive two-week leadership development fellowship was designed for women faculty from Ethiopian medical schools and conducted from 2011-2015 at the University of Wisconsin-School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. Nine Ethiopian women working in early- or mid-level academic positions were selected. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the fellows. Transcripts were reviewed through qualitative analysis to assess the perceived impact of the training on their careers. Three male academic leaders were interviewed to solicit feedback on the program. ResultsEight of 9 fellows were interviewed. Themes describing the benefits of the fellowship included: increased awareness of gender inequities; enhanced motivation for career advancement; increased personal confidence; and improved leadership skills. Fellows provided suggestions for future training and scaling up efforts to promote gender equity. Male leaders described the benefits of men promoting gender equity within academic health centers. ConclusionsThis paper provides evidence that targeted brief training programs can enhance women’s motivation and skills to become effective leaders in academic medicine in Ethiopia. Promoting gender equity in academic medicine is an important strategy to address health workforce shortages and to provide professional role models for female students in the health professions.

Highlights

Approximately one in ten Ethiopian girls will accomplish her dream of advancing to post-secondary education; fewer numbers will complete graduate or professional training.[1]
This paper provides evidence that targeted brief training programs can enhance women’s motivation and skills to become effective leaders in academic medicine in Ethiopia
The women who are able to achieve these milestones often must overcome significant obstacles related to their gender, including cultural expectations, gender discrimination, an internalized sense of inferiority, lack of financial resources, and gender-based violence (GBV).[2]

Summary

Introduction

Approximately one in ten Ethiopian girls will accomplish her dream of advancing to post-secondary education; fewer numbers will complete graduate or professional training.[1] The women who are able to achieve these milestones often must overcome significant obstacles related to their gender, including cultural expectations, gender discrimination, an internalized sense of inferiority, lack of financial resources, and gender-based violence (GBV).[2] In light of these obstacles, it is not surprising that few women rise to become faculty and into leadership positions. Studies addressing the challenges faced by women in Ethiopian post-secondary educational institutions have identified that gender discrimination and GBV, including sexual harassment, are common occurrences.[5,6,7] This leads to decreased rates of matriculation, increased rates of depression with suicidal thoughts, and contributes to poor academic performance and higher attrition among female students and faculty.[8,9] a national survey conducted in 2011 found that just over 50% of women reported being formally employed in the prior 12 months. About one-third of these women, in contrast to 9% of men, were not paid for their work

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion