Written By: Nsovo Mayimele
July 8, 2020
Being in the pharmacy profession has been an amazing journey for me. The pharmacy profession is dynamic and is never short of opportunities. The mix of science, chemistry, practice and ethics makes pharmacy fulfilling. Being a woman made my path in the profession extra special. I became a gender advocate through my interest in sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR). I enrolled for a course that allowed me to relate my pharmacy qualifications to the SRHR needs of women in different parts of the world. One of the best highlights was having great female mentors who were able to hold my hand and show me how I can make the most of my profession. The key lesson I was taught was that “it is not only about what the profession can do for me, but what I can do for the profession”. One of my female mentors served on the South African Pharmacy Council and had an influence in key policy decisions that have had a positive impact on the profession and the public. I hope that in my lifetime I can at least do half of the work she did for the profession in my country and around the world.
Being a woman in pharmacy has been a great experience and the profession has been empowering for me. While the profession, in all its sectors, is demanding for young women like myself, I am enjoying every step I take. I’m currently working for a regulatory council, where I take work home and sometimes need to choose between attending to my family or meeting a deadline. My commitment and passion for the profession is the voice of reason every time I feel like giving up. Statistics in South Africa and other countries, such as the UK, show that there are more women in the profession than men. We are fortunate in the pharmacy profession that we generally have more women, as there is strength in numbers. However, it is concerning that women tend to be under-represented in leadership within the profession. For example, in the UK male pharmacists are more likely than their female colleagues to own their own business.(1) In 2019, women accounted for only 25% of leadership positions in the United Kingdom with only one female CEO among the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.(2) Having the leadership of women limited in the profession is detrimental and rather concerning because women are recognised as agents of change globally. Having leadership that is gender-diverse has far-reaching benefits in all spheres of society.(3)
I am passionate about gender equality and the inclusion of women in decision making. As a pharmacist, seeing more women in key roles will not only be inspirational but also brighten the future prospects of the profession. I aspire to increase the visibility of pharmacists in reaching out to communities and people that need their services. I am engaged in volunteer projects where I always apply a pharmacist and gender lens in order to solve problems and help people that need me.
In order to grow the profession and ensure its sustainability we ought to have a meaningful impact on society. The current generation of pharmacists can commit to empowering women to become the best version of themselves in the profession. Among the many voices that limit women, we can be louder and empower women within the profession. The profession can start by doing research to determine where women are and how they can be given equal opportunity to lead. Innovative ways to empower women in the profession and communities need to be established and implemented. We are to empower women in our various communities as healthcare providers. Supporting women in communities is an investment for the pharmacy profession. Pharmacists can empower women within the profession and in communities and, through their inclusion, thereby ensure a bright future for the profession.
References
1. Andalo D. Only 2% of female pharmacists own pharmacies despite making up 62% of the workforce, survey finds. The Pharmaceutical Journal, online, online | DOI: 10.1211/PJ.2019.20207478.
2. Milkovic P. Women in leadership positions within the healthcare sector Available at https://resultshealthcare.com/insight/women-in-healthcare-leadership/ (Accessed 6 July 2020).
3. Women Deliver. Balancing the power equation. Available at: http://womendeliver.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Women-Leadership-Policy-Brief-9.23.18.pdf. (Accessed 6 July 2020).