Women and leadership: perceived gender-related barriers and motivators in global healthcare

The majority of the global healthcare workforce is female, yet women are significantly under-represented in healthcare leadership. The healthcare sector enables gendered roles and positions, but there is a low level of provision and policy attempting to minimise these gendered gaps. This systematic review analysed qualitative evidence, aiming to collate findings from diverse global contexts relating to the perceived motivators and barriers to women in, or with the potential to pursue, a healthcare leadership role. An adaptive systematic review was conducted in January 2023, searching CINAHL Plus (via EBSCO), Medline (via PubMed) and the British Nursing Index for relevant literature published between 2015 and 2022. Eight articles were included in the final analysis. Institutional gender inequality was highlighted in healthcare leadership, while support was found to be the biggest motivator for women pursuing or maintaining a leadership role. Three themes were identified in the literature: structural and systemic barriers and motivators; cultural and societal norms; and facilitators and support. The relationship between women and leadership appears to be characterised by a complex set of motivators and barriers, explaining persisting gender-based hierarchies. The authors used these findings to provide recommendations for future practice and research to address and minimise the issue of gender inequality in healthcare leadership.