CHANGING THE FACE OF LEADERSHIP

The Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Committee (WiCTS) enhanced education and development opportunities for women surgeons with the launch of a thought-provoking webinar series, focused on leadership and inclusion. The series ‘the changing face of leadership: moving from diversity to inclusion’ blends theory with practical information from experts and guest speakers with discussions on the changing face of leadership and women’s challenges and roles in the current landscape.

The webinar series has been well received by attendees, who report a positive influence in their workspace.

A third of women cardiothoracic surgeons have considered leaving surgery because of gender discrimination

44% of women surgeons report postponing having children compared to 14% of men

A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE WICTS WEBINAR SERIES

94% EACTS / ANNUAL REVIEW 2022 25

OF PARTICIPANTS FOUND THE WEBINAR INFORMATIVE

OF PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THE WEBINAR CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR LEARNING ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

What Participants Say About The Wicts Webinar Series

“The WiCTS webinar about leadership at work is a wonderful opportunity to go beyond our surgical profession and at the same time learn fundamental skills that are an absolute must to progress in our job. The focus lays on daily communication, perception of your team and individual career planning moderated and delivered by speakers who are experts in their field. The 90-minute sessions were an opportunity to get in touch with the very interesting panel and moderators and also discuss, for instance, different styles of negotiation in smaller groups. After a few sessions we already created a WiCTS webinar community, and noone wants to miss the next session.”

Alicja Zientara, Germany

“The webinar series offered a yet unheard-of opportunity to broaden our skillset as the future of cardiothoracic surgeons. The topics discussed were relevant for every aspect of our daily work. They were based upon experiences others have gained in the past and the great scientific background that has arisen from it.”

The Committee also held an empowering workshop at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting, inclusive to both men and women surgeons, which discussed various ways of practicing personal power and learnt how to consciously use body and spoken language to present themselves in a more powerful way.

At the Annual Meeting we demonstrated our commitment to delivering an inclusive scientific programme that provided more opportunities for women surgeons to take on key roles such as chairs, panelists, and moderators. We were delighted to welcome more women to the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting, accounting for over 25% of overall attendance figures.

+25% WOMEN

at the 36th EACTS Annual Meeting

SUPPORTING POSITIVE CULTURAL CHANGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO EACTS AND OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS WE HAVE STEPPED UP OUR WORK TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE CARDIOTHORACIC COMMUNITY