Women and the American Diabetes Association

Abstract

The data presented by Dunne et al. (1,2) are clear and add to the growing literature describing hurdles faced by women in health care and academia. Gender disparities are evident in diabetes-related professions, and in the structure of diabetes associations and governmental research funding sources, these disparities are unfortunately no surprise. As pointed out by the authors, as well as by Sandoval et al. (3,4), the reasons for this gender gap are multiple, spanning social, institutional, cultural, governmental, and organizational domains. These complex issues demand deliberate attention and actions at all organizational and governmental levels. We recognize our collective history and have been striving toward rectifying these disparities. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) stands for equal treatment of all people, irrespective of gender, race, and ethnicity. One of our strategic priorities is helping people thrive, which can only be fully realized when we embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This needs to be firmly rooted in our organizational structure, volunteer composition, and community conversations. In recent years, the ADA has taken steps to improve processes, policies, practice, and culture to reduce inequalities. This evolution starts within. Here we describe the steps ADA has taken …