Self-advocate, speak up to advance mission of equity, inclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a pause on progress made toward closing the gender gap, according to AWIR president Grace C. Wright, MD, who spoke with panelists here to identify the current state of these efforts and devise a path forward.
“I call this the shifting sands of the pandemic: We’re building, we’re building, we’re progressing and then boom, the world explodes, and we’re left on a dune in the desert where everything is shifting underneath,” Wright told attendees at the 2021 AWIR Annual Conference. “What do you do with that? ... How do we, through this shifting sand, create an approach toward success? ... The concern here is that progress that was made toward closing the gender gap in academic medicine and elsewhere has stalled. How do you recover from the stall?”
Wright cited burnout as a threat to recovery, as the pandemic placed demands on an already overstressed society, resulted in fewer networking opportunities, and added burdens like homeschooling and elder care to the shoulders of already busy women.
“We have to take action,” she said. “We have to make sure that we protect ourselves from burnout, and that is an active effort.”
Networking is also important, Wright said, to identify and build a tribe of people who will “keep you honest but support you and always make sure there is a welcoming place for you to go.”
In an open discussion on the topic, panelist Beatriz Faro, regional president North America Inflammation and Immunology at Pfizer, told attendees, “Diversity is good, but inclusion is very important. We have to think about having more females in C-suite positions, but also work in parallel in developing organizations, companies and health systems that are inclusive, because if we are at the top but we’re not heard, then we’ve only done half of the job.”
Faro encouraged attendees to be their own self-advocates, and to be proactive and vocal about where they are, what they want, and the resources and support they need to achieve their goals. This applies to conversations had both in person and virtually via platforms like Zoom, where communication may be more difficult.
“The idea of being over spoken, being stepped past, being ignored, it happens in the physical space, it happens in the virtual space,” Wright said. “What do we need to do? Become aware it’s happening, have the bravery to do something about it, to be interruptive. We don’t always have to be nice. ... To really go and challenge because it changes the dynamic and it says, ‘I belong at this table, I belong in this room and my voice deserves to be heard.’ This applies to our male counterparts, as well. ... Everyone has the opportunity and the right to be heard.”
Panelist Andrea Reid, MD, MPH, associate dean for student and multicultural affairs and director of the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs at Harvard Medical School, agreed, using an analogy to explain the difference between diversity and inclusion.
“Diversity is inviting individuals to the dance; you’re bringing them into the room and you’re saying, ‘You’re welcome to be here, aren’t you glad to be here?’ Inclusion is asking them onto the dance floor, saying ‘We want you here and we want you to participate,’” Reid explained. “Again, it’s those in power sort of giving you the privilege of being in the room and being on the dance floor. ... The goal really needs to be belonging and that’s where the individuals who aren’t usually in the space or at the dance, now they’re the ones making the playlist. ... That’s the only way you influence culture, you bring those individuals around the table, and listen to them, knowing that they belong.”
Wright encouraged attendees to make a “brag sheet” that lists their achievements, and to pause for self-care. She also asked members to visit the AWIR website, as well as learn how to get involved and take action toward what she called “DIBC,” or Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Culture.
“The whole idea of diversity and how we check boxes is not the issue,” Wright said. “What I want us to understand is that we each come with our own culture. ... We’re all better when each of our cultures is appreciated, is allowed in the room and is allowed to contribute so that we have the voices that are heard, but most importantly they understand they’re respected, that they’re wanted and that they’re elevated, as well. That’s when we get to belonging.
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Wright GC, Reid A, Faro B. Leadership development: Fireside chat. Presented at: AWIR National Conference; August 12-15, 2021; (hybrid meeting).
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