By Pamela A. McAfee and Amna Haslam
1 | Introduction
Welcome to Women’s History Month, celebrated every March, is a time to honor the achievements, resilience, and contributions of women throughout history. It originated as Women’s History Week in 1980, following advocacy from the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women’s History Alliance). Women’s History Month traces its origins to 1978 when the school district of Sonoma, California, organized the first Women’s History Day. Students participated in essay competitions, presentations, and a parade in Santa Rosa, sparking enthusiasm that soon spread across the country. By 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation designating the week of March 8th as National Women’s History Week, and the following year, Congress passed a resolution to make it a national observance. The movement continued to grow, and in 1987, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March (National Today, 2025). The celebration serves as a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of women who have broken barriers in politics, science, education, civil rights, and beyond.
Women have always been present in history, contributing to society in ways that were often overlooked or underappreciated. In the military, women have served voluntarily for centuries, with formal roles established through the creation of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 and the Navy Nurse Corps in 1908. Progress in women’s rights saw milestones such as married women being granted the right to own property and keep their wages in the early 1900s. Education also paved the way for women’s advancement, with Salem College, founded in 1772, becoming the first U.S. college to accept women. Today, women continue to make strides in leadership and business, with over 30% of all businesses in the U.S. owned and operated by women (National Today, 2025).
Throughout American history, women from diverse backgrounds have paved the way for future generations. Harriet Tubman, an African American abolitionist, led enslaved individuals to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Wilma Mankiller, the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, championed Native American rights and community development. Yuri Kochiyama, a Japanese American civil rights activist, fought for racial justice and human rights. Dolores Huerta, a Latina labor leader, co-founded the United Farm Workers and advocated for the rights of agricultural workers. Susan B. Anthony, a white suffragist, played a key role in securing women’s right to vote. These women, among countless others, have left lasting legacies, demonstrating that perseverance and leadership transcend cultural and racial boundaries.
The 2025 Women’s History Month theme is, “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” (National Women’s History Museum, 2025) which aims to highlight the collective power of women in shaping the future through education, mentorship, and advocacy. This theme emphasizes the importance of knowledge-sharing across generations, fostering a culture where women uplift one another, break barriers, and create lasting change. In healthcare, this means empowering women leaders, addressing disparities in care, and ensuring equitable access to medical resources for all women, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or geography. By educating communities about health equity, supporting policies that advance women’s healthcare, and mentoring the next generation of female healthcare professionals, we can create a more inclusive and just system that prioritizes the well-being of all women.
2 | Women In Healthcare Leadership
Women have been pivotal in shaping healthcare leadership, breaking barriers to drive innovation and inclusivity. Historically, female representation in top executive roles has been limited. In 2021, only 15.3% of health system CEOs and 15.8% of health insurance group CEOs were women (Odei, et al., 2021). However, recent appointments signal more progress. In 2024, Lois Quam became the first female CEO of Blue Shield of California in its 86-year history (Lagasse, 2024). Similarly, Beth Walker was named the first female CEO of Ochsner Medical Center-New Orleans (Gonzales, 2024). In the next section, there is more additional data on the progress and continued improvement for women in healthcare leadership roles.
The presence of women in healthcare leadership brings distinct advantages. Studies have shown that organizations with gender-diverse leadership teams often experience improved financial performance, enhanced patient care, and more inclusive workplace cultures. Women leaders tend to prioritize collaborative approaches, patient-centered care, and mentorship programs, fostering environments where diverse perspectives are valued. As more women ascend to executive positions, the healthcare industry stands to benefit from leadership that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.
3 | Data and Demographics on Women in the U.S.
Data on Women in Healthcare
| 2024 CY – Women in Healthcare | ||||||
| Percent of Total Employed | ||||||
| Occupation | Total Employed | Women | White | Black or African-American | Asian | Hispanic and Latino |
| Total, 16 years + | 161,346 | 47.1 | 76.3 | 12.8 | 7.0 | 19.4 |
| Healthcare practitioners & Technical occupations | 10,475 | 75.8 | 73.5 | 13.3 | 10.2 | 10.0 |
| Healthcare support occupations | 5,456 | 84.6 | 61.1 | 26.9 | 7.1 | 21.9 |
Data on Women in Healthcare Leadership
A study conducted in 2019 found that women made up approximately 30% of C-suite teams and 13% of CEOs with women taking 3-5 years longer on average to reach CEO (Stone et al., 2019). Further, organizations with greater diversity among their senior leadership were more likely to have a woman CEO. McKinsey & Company (Berlin et al., 2023) reported that 2022 data showed higher rates on average of women leaving healthcare compared to previous years, which further exacerbates the lack of representation and diversity observed in senior levels among women in healthcare leadership.
4 | Leadership Profiles – Two Women Leaders in Healthcare History
Bess Bolden Walcott (1886–1988) was a pioneering leader in academics, healthcare, and civic affairs, leaving a lasting impact on Tuskegee Institute and beyond. As a founding member and longtime Executive Secretary of the Tuskegee Institute Chapter of the American Red Cross, she played a critical role in expanding healthcare access in the South. Under her leadership, the Chapter established one of the first Health Centers in the region, staffed by a Public Health Nurse, to provide essential medical services to the community. During the Great Depression, Walcott secured national Red Cross funding to distribute food and supplies to Black farm families in need, demonstrating her deep commitment to public welfare. Her dedication to healthcare extended to the fight against polio, as she led the Tuskegee Institute Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (1940–1950), securing resources to open the Tuskegee Institute Infantile Paralysis Center—the only facility in the Southeast where Black children and adults could receive treatment for polio.
Walcott’s leadership in healthcare and social advocacy continued during World War II, when she became the first Black woman to serve as a Red Cross Acting Field Director. In this role, she supported the Tuskegee Army Airfield and the famed Tuskegee Airmen, promoting the war effort and raising funds through War Bond campaigns. Beyond her contributions to healthcare and military support, she was instrumental in establishing mental health services in Tuskegee, serving as Executive Secretary of the Mental Hygiene Society and advocating for the creation of a Mental Health Clinic. Her efforts to address public health disparities, fight segregation, and advance social justice were recognized on a national scale, culminating in her election as National Vice President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in 1962. Walcott’s lifelong dedication to healthcare, education, and civil rights solidified her legacy as a transformative figure in American history (National Women’s History Museum – Chronicles of American Women: Your History Makers, n.d.
Nadine Burke Harris (1975-) is a pediatrician and the former Surgeon General of California. Originally from Canada, she studied integrative biology at UC Berkeley and completed her medical training at UC Davis before earning her MPH from Harvard. She was the first person appointed to the role of Surgeon General of California (2019-2022) by Governor Gavin Newsom. In this role, she drove solutions to public health challenges in three key priority areas of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress, mental health, and reproductive health by bridging insights from medicine, science, and public health.
Dr. Harris’s advocacy for universal screening of ACEs started after her pediatrics residency at Stanford. She moved to San Francisco where she co-founded the Center for Youth Wellness in 2011, in one of San Francisco’s underserved neighborhoods, Bayview Hunters Point. Dr. Harris noticed a high prevalence of childhood trauma among her pediatric patients. Drawing on the work of CDC and Kaiser Permanente (Felitti et al., 1998) linking childhood trauma and adult health outcomes, she began to integrate ACE scores in her practice. ACEs are preventable, and potentially traumatic events that numerous studies have shown are a predictor of chronic, physical, behavioral, and mental health diseases in adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.). ACEs are common with sixty-seven percent of the U.S. population having at least one ACE, and one in six adults having four or more ACEs (Merrick et al., 2019). Nowadays, Dr. Harris can be found traveling across the United States and engaging in conversations to raise public awareness on ACEs and toxic stress.
5 | Current Challenges and Opportunities
Barriers to Women’s Health Issues
- Maternal Health Disparities – Women, particularly women of color, face significant disparities in maternal healthcare, including higher rates of maternal mortality and complications during childbirth. Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women due to systemic issues such as implicit bias in healthcare, limited access to quality prenatal care, and socioeconomic factors. This is a longstanding challenge that persists despite recent efforts to address maternal health equity through policies like the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act.
- Access to Reproductive Healthcare – Changes in legislation and state-level restrictions on abortion and contraceptive access have created major obstacles for women seeking reproductive care. The overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 has led to limited access to abortion services in many states, forcing women to travel long distances or seek alternative, often unsafe, options. This is a recent challenge that has intensified in the last few years, particularly affecting low-income women and those living in rural areas.
Barriers to Women in Healthcare Leadership
- Gender Bias and Stereotypes – Women in healthcare leadership often face biases that assume they are less authoritative or capable in executive roles compared to their male counterparts. This includes being overlooked for promotions, facing unequal pay, and struggling against traditional expectations of leadership styles. While progress has been made, this longstanding challenge has roots in historical gender norms that have favored male leadership in medicine and administration.
- Lack of Mentorship and Sponsorship – Women in healthcare leadership roles often struggle to find mentors or sponsors who can advocate for their career advancement. Many leadership networks and decision-making groups remain male-dominated, limiting women’s opportunities for professional growth. This challenge has existed for decades, but it has become more widely recognized in recent years, leading to the creation of leadership programs aimed at supporting women in executive healthcare roles.
Addressing these challenges requires systemic changes, including stronger policies, mentorship initiatives, and continued advocacy for gender equity in both healthcare access and leadership.
Opportunities – Progress and the Path Forward
While women have faced numerous challenges in attaining leadership roles, there has been progress and women have shown both strength and resilience to push through barriers. Progress has come in the form of expanded presence with women accounting for more than one-third of active physicians dominating pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, dermatology, pathology, and psychiatry specialties (Boyle et al., 2024). Further, while the proportion of women in senior-manager or director level leadership roles, the increase has lagged behind men with only 25% of these positions being held by women (Tzure, 2024).
Organizations need to demonstrate a commitment to systematic and meaningful progress through clearly communicated policies and guidance to explicitly address unconscious bias and support leadership and mentorship programs to increase diversity in healthcare leadership roles.
6 | Policy Watch and International Women’s Day
Recent healthcare policies have significantly impacted women’s health by enhancing access to care and promoting health equity.
- Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines under the Affordable Care Act (ACA): The ACA mandates that most private health insurers provide coverage for women’s preventive health services without cost-sharing. This includes essential services such as mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care, and contraceptive counseling. By eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for these services, the policy aims to encourage preventive care and early detection, thereby improving health outcomes for women across the United States (HRSA, 2024; Institutes of Medicine, 2011).
- Abortion Shield Laws: In response to the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, several states have enacted abortion shield laws to protect access to abortion services. These laws safeguard abortion providers, patients, and those assisting them from legal actions originating in states where abortion is restricted or banned. For instance, Connecticut passed such a law in May 2022, and as of now, 18 states and Washington, D.C., have implemented similar protections. These measures are crucial in maintaining access to reproductive health services amidst varying state regulations (HRSA, 2024; Lee, 2025).
- House Resolution 7 (H.Res.7) – Recognizing the Importance of Access to Comprehensive, High-Quality, Life-Affirming Medical Care for Women of All Ages: Introduced in January 2025, this resolution emphasizes the necessity for women to have access to comprehensive and compassionate medical services throughout their lives. It advocates for empowering women with knowledge to advocate for their health and underscores the importance of addressing physical, mental, and spiritual wellness in healthcare services. While primarily a statement of principles, it reflects a legislative commitment to improving healthcare quality and accessibility for women (H.Res.7, 2025).
These policies collectively aim to enhance healthcare access, protect reproductive rights, and promote comprehensive well-being for women, thereby addressing critical aspects of health equity (Johnson, et al., 2025).
International Women’s Day is on March 8th, we can celebrate by organizing initiatives that center on women’s health and equity. Hospitals, clinics, and universities can host health equity panels and workshops featuring female healthcare leaders discussing disparities in maternal health, cancer prevention, and chronic disease management among women. Community organizations can offer free or discounted health screenings for underserved populations, including reproductive health services, heart health checkups, and mental health support. Another impactful way to celebrate is through mentorship programs, where established women in healthcare guide and inspire young women pursuing careers in medicine, public health, and health administration. Additionally, social media campaigns can spotlight the achievements of women in healthcare and raise awareness about gender disparities in medical research, treatment, and access to care. By combining education, advocacy, and action, we can honor International Women’s Day while making meaningful strides toward health equity for women everywhere.
The International Women’s Day theme is “Accelerate Action,” calling for urgent efforts to advance gender equality and health equity worldwide. To symbolize this movement, purple, green, and white—colors of the women’s suffrage movement—are widely adopted for IWD. Originating from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK, founded in 1903, these colors carry powerful meanings: purple represents justice and dignity, demonstrating loyalty to the cause; green symbolizes hope, embodying the optimism of change; and white signifies purity, a historically debated concept but now embraced as a symbol of sisterhood and solidarity. Wearing these colors on International Women’s Day honors the sacrifices of past generations while committing to progress in women’s rights, health, and leadership. By accelerating action and working together, we can build a future where women’s health and leadership are fully recognized and equitably supported (International Women’s Day, 2025).
Conclusion
Women’s History Month and the International Women’s Day serve as powerful reminders of the significant contributions women have made in healthcare leadership and healthcare equity. Throughout history, women have played pivotal roles in shaping healthcare systems, advocating for health equity, and breaking barriers to achieve leadership positions. Despite facing systemic challenges, their resilience, strength, and dedication have propelled them forward, leading to remarkable progress.
Over the past 18 years, women have expanded their presence across various medical specialties, including pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, dermatology, pathology, and psychiatry. Today, women account for more than one-third of active physicians—a testament to the strides made in closing the gender gap in healthcare. Additionally, the wide range of skills and formal education required for healthcare roles highlights the multifaceted contributions of women across the spectrum of healthcare professions. From healthcare practitioners such as physicians, registered nurses, laboratory technicians, and pharmacists to healthcare support roles like nursing assistants, personal care aides, and home health aides, women continue to be the backbone of the healthcare workforce.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is essential to honor the trailblazing women who have made history in healthcare. Pioneers like Bess Bolden Walcott, the first Black woman to serve as the Red Cross Acting Field Director, and Nadine Burke Harris, the first Surgeon General of California, have paved the way for future generations of women leaders. Their groundbreaking achievements inspire us to continue advocating for gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare leadership.
While there is still work to be done, the progress made by women in healthcare is undeniable. By amplifying their voices, recognizing their achievements, and fostering inclusive environments, we can create a future where women in healthcare equity, advocacy, and executive healthcare leadership are not only represented but empowered to drive transformative change.
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