Member Organisations Community of Practice
A component of the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership project relates to defining the role of member organisations in promoting gender equity and women’s leadership within the healthcare sector, and using this knowledge to design evidence-based interventions to support change. Member organisations include professional medical colleges and the Australian Medical Association (AMA). Although member organisations don’t directly employ most health professionals, they have some important levers of influence that may change the career trajectories of women health professionals.
Member organisations are the main peak bodies that control training pathways and oversee the training of all health professionals. They are strong voices in public and with government and therefore play a significant advocacy role. In addition, member organisations fund research and individual professional awards, and provide the opportunity to learn leadership skills through voluntary participation in numerous committees. Important ‘hard levers’ that member organisations can use to influence include setting accreditation standards for training positions in healthcare services, and enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations. ‘Soft levers’ include the establishing cultural expectations and building leadership skills and opportunities through their governance structure.
To begin the process of collaborative discussions around collective actions that member organisations might pursue to promote gender equity in healthcare leadership, a Community of Practice has been established with representation from various medical colleges and the AMA. The Community of Practice has now met twice to set a strategic direction, and to explore potential interventions that are important to the organisations themselves. Although the Community of Practice is still in its early stages, interests and priorities have started to emerge, especially around the need for a shared understanding and language in discussing issues for women in the medical workforce.
The Community of Practice will continue to serve as a point of communication between the membership organisations, enabling them to support each other along their journeys to advance women in leadership within their spheres of influence. For further information about the Community of Practice model, please feel free to email mchri.awhl@monash.edu.
MEET THE RESEARCHER
Dr Jenny Proimos is a paediatrician and adolescent health physician working at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Jenny joined AWHL in 2021 as PhD candidate. Through her PhD Jenny aims to coordinate the collaboration of medical colleges as they implement and evaluate organisational strategies to achieve gender equity in healthcare leadership.
PhD SUPERVISION TEAM
Professor Helena Teede, Monash University
Associate Professor Jacqueline Boyle, Monash University
