March 8, 2022

Celebrate International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is a global day to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements, a day to call for gender equality, and a day to reflect on how we can all #BreakTheBias. This year’s theme is to raise awareness against bias and promote equality.

As we actively commit to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world, we must be aware of the significant impact of conscious and unconscious biases have on women’s equality. Implicit gender biases are reinforced in our society from a young age and have serious implications on the role and status of women in the workplace.

Although women dominate the nursing workforce, there is still great gender disparity in nursing leadership positions with men holding a majority of those executive roles. When looking at this issue with an intersectional lens, we know Black, Indigenous, and women of color are even more disproportionally marginalized by biases.

Gender bias is embedded in research studies which in turn magnifies the gender disparities in our health systems. Women being excluded from medical research is problematic as it creates a healthcare system that is under-researched and underrepresented leading many to have delayed diagnoses. These gender based health inequities are killing women, in particular Black, Indigenous, and women of color. We must all use our voices and power to recognize biases and call them out to forge women’s equality. Join me this International Women’s Day so we can #BreakTheBias.