Women were already unequal in the world of global health. The pandemic made it worse

NPR March 24, 2023
By Melody Schreiber

Women health workers lost ground on equality during the pandemic, according to a new report from Women in Global Health.

While 70% of the health care workforce around the world is made up of women, they hold only 25% of senior leadership roles, the report found – a phenomenon dubbed the “XX Factor.”

Women had made some progress in closing the gender gap in leadership — until the pandemic. In 2020, for instance, the executive board of the World Health Organization reached a record 32% women, but then it fell to 6% in 2022.

“Wherever there is a high-profile emergency, these gendered stereotypes of leadership kick in even more than they do in normal situations,” said Ann Keeling, senior fellow...

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