Summary

This year, the Pan American Health Organization is proposing to discuss gender, leadership and nurse education in the Region of the Americas. At the global level, women account for 67% of the health workforce. In the Americas, 56% of health workers are nurses and over 80% are women. However, they face structural barriers and unequal opportunities in terms of labor market access and guaranteed labor benefits. On average, women earn 20 per cent less than men, have limited access to leadership positions, and are underrepresented in senior positions, both in health systems and in politics.[1]

The Policy on the Health Workforce 2030: Strengthening Human Resources for Health to Achieve Resilient Health Systems (CD60/6), adopted by PAHO Member States in September 2023, highlights the importance of mainstreaming a gender perspective into health sector employment policies, with an emphasis on actions that ensure protection and decent conditions of employment, with guaranteed gender-neutral remuneration for health workers.

Nurses are key players in health promotion and disease prevention. They are the backbone of healthcare systems worldwide, working on the front line of disease prevention, health promotion, and health management. They are often the forgotten heroes in health services and emergency response, despite their critical role. It is necessary to invest in nursing education, jobs, leadership, and service delivery.

Recognizing the outstanding role of nursing professionals, International Nurses Day activities will focus on fostering discussions and sharing knowledge and actions in the areas of gender, leadership, and innovation in nursing education and practice.[2]

[1] Fitzgerald J et al. La importancia del enfoque de género en la construcción de sistemas de salud resilientes, equitativos y universales. [The Importance of a Gender Focus in Building Resilient, Equitable, and Universal Health Systems]. Pan American Journal of Public Health, 2023, 47:1. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2023.135

[2] Pan American Health Organization. (2022). The Strategic Importance of National Investment in Nursing Professionals in the Region of the Americas. Washington, D.C.: PAHO; 2022. Available from: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/55957