My aspirations are for equity in health and healthcare for the women of Aotearoa. The lack of recognition of sex and gender differences in biology and medicine is an issue that research is only beginning to rectify. The more we understand about how sex and gender affect health, the more we can improve health and well-being for everyone.
I echo the goals described in ‘A Case for a National Women’s Health Strategy in Aotearoa New Zealand’ by Women’s Health Action around developing a women’s health strategy to guide health services. Especially that we need to work towards health equity between women and men and a health system that is responsive to the needs of all women. This means effecting change across all levels of health and medicine, from research to education to clinical care. Both sex and gender can influence health and there is very little awareness that a sex (and gender) gap still exists around healthcare.
Another aspiration I have is to improve equity and support the progression of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. While numbers of women at lower levels in STEM areas is increasing, there is still a lack of representation in more senior leadership roles and on company boards.
