they achieve – and get recognition for – something they have done, especially something they may not earlier have thought possible to achieve or believed in themselves to do.”
attacks from the media and even their own colleagues, and yet persisted – because they were driven by a clear sense of purpose. Purpose is everything in leadership.”
Angela sees opportunity in a number of areas to make gains in gender equality in health, including mentoring and supporting the career development of younger or junior women professionals, particularly women from underrepresented backgrounds. “We need to invest in this now so that these women will be well equipped to become public health leaders in the future.”
She admires her many talented and committed women colleagues at the Regional Office, both professional and general staff, who quietly go about making sure the Organization continues to move forward supporting Member States. Beyond WHO, she is particularly admiring of climate activist Greta Thunberg: “Imagine having the poise, courage of conviction, confidence and communication skills to speak truth to power so eloquently and forcefully... at the age of 17.”
She also sees a need for better insight and understanding into how women and men use health services differently, including the barriers they may face in different contexts. “Gender-disaggregated data are, of course, really important, but that won’t tell us the whole story. We need to get better at understanding what drives differences in access to health services and targeting policies and programmes accordingly.” Throughout her career, Angela has been inspired by countless women. “When I worked in politics in Australia, I was constantly inspired by many of the women politicians I saw in action up close, many of whom were subject to the most vile and awful sexist
Looking back on her life, she would tell her younger self to be more confident: “Don’t be afraid to speak up and use your voice.” She encourages young women wanting to become leaders in health to find a mentor or mentors who can help them navigate the path ahead. Angela’s advice for these young women and for others who want to promote gender equality in health is to go for it. “I am a big believer in success breeding success. By showing people the benefits of gender equity in action – of gender-diverse leadership, of fully engaged communities – this will help to create momentum for further change.”
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