The Crime of Gender Inequality in Global Health

Since the Harvey Weinstein sexual atrocities first came to light in early October, nearly every day has brought news of another male authority figure who has used his power to impose himself sexually upon women, even girls. People worldwide are learning that the glass ceiling that has long held females below top leadership positions in their professions is tied to egregious sexual obstacles that women have always known about, but most men now profess shock and dismay to discover.

As the global conversation about sexual predators expands into larger issues about power and the inequitable workplace, it’s remarkable to consider how gender issues play out in professions that are overwhelmingly female, yet still controlled predominantly by men. Public health is the perfect example, both of this imbalance in power in a female-majority field and of the impact that inequity has on the activities and products produced by the profession. The majority of people working in health worldwide are female — by far. But the majority of their bosses and global leadership are men.