Conclusion – What Now for Women in Healthcare Management?

Drawing together the diverse case studies and analyses presented throughout this volume, this concluding chapter synthesises the multifaceted experiences of women in leadership and management within global health and social care systems. It underscores the persistent disparity between women’s significant representation in the workforce and their underrepresentation in senior roles, a phenomenon explored through various socio-political lenses in preceding chapters. This final section highlights the innovative strategies and resilient leadership practices employed by women who have navigated and transformed their local healthcare landscapes, offering critical insights for future generations. It considers how the women presented are not afraid to speak up on contemporary issues and drove much of their changes due to their value advancing co-design and collaboration. By connecting historical precedents of female revolutionary leadership with contemporary experiences, the chapter reinforces the central argument that achieving gender equity in health leadership necessitates a fundamental understanding of the complex interplay between gender, power, and context, ultimately advocating for systemic change to foster more inclusive and effective healthcare systems worldwide. Evolving healthcare management requires people who can adapt and respond to an ever complex adaptive system. The editors argue that there is now a need to shift the focus from women proving their ‘worth’ to focus on enabling action that is based on diversified learning for change.