Despite constituting 70% of the global health (GH) workforce, women have only 25% leadership representation indicating a lack of gender diversity in leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed progress in gender diversity in leadership as women had to shoulder a disproportionate share of job losses and caregiving roles. This study aimed to investigate challenges and facilitators for professional development among women in GH who live, work, or study in Massachusetts, and explore their interests in becoming mentors and joining a women-focused GH professional network.

Methods:

The cross-sectional online survey of women in GH in Massachusetts was conducted in Fall 2023. Participants were invited via email sent by professional associations, academic institutions, or their workplaces. Descriptive and stratified analyses were carried out.

Results:

Out of the 105 respondents, key challenges were work-life integration (19.4%), limited mentorship and sponsorship (13.9%), unequal pay (11.5%), and limited career advancement opportunities (9.7%), with 88.3% reporting personal experiences of these barriers. Career-enhancing factors included diverse and inclusive workplaces, equal-pay initiatives, and supportive professional networks, yet 33% had never benefited from these. Over 63% expressed interest in joining a women-focused GH professional network, citing networking, access to mentorship, sponsorship, and leadership development programs, policy change potential, alignment with the network's mission, and recognition as motivators. About 75% of them, with >10 years of experience expressed willingness to mentor others.

Conclusion:

Targeted interventions such as a women-focused GH professional network can address those barriers and promote gender equity in GH leadership.