Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Makassad Hospital, Bethlehem, PalestinePalestine
Middle East Cancer Consortium, Haifa, IsraelIsrael
Also available as PDF (figures and tables appear in the PDF).
Women play an important role in the advancement of science, medicine, and health. The issue of gender is still a debatable item in many cultures and societies. However, despite remarkable advances in gender equality, there are still disturbing barriers that need to be broken down in order to reach the desired goal. The empowerment of female nurses has created status changes and improvements in cancer care. Whereas marked achievements have been noted in developed countries, much work is still needed in developing countries, where culture and tradition hinder this process.
Keywords: Cancer care; Women nurses; Empowerment
Women play an important role in the advancement of science, medicine, and health. The issue of gender is still a debatable item in many cultures and societies. However, despite remarkable advances in gender equality, there are still disturbing barriers that need to be broken down in order to reach the desired goal. The empowerment of female nurses has created status changes and improvements in cancer care. Whereas marked achievements have been noted in developed countries, much work is still needed in developing countries, where culture and tradition hinder this process. Keywords Cancer care; Women nurses; Empowerment.
omen are integral to health promotion and academic excel- notable improvement in the health of women and children, in par- lence. To date, women have been faced with ongoing chal- ticular, and in the community, in general.3 It is clear that at least W lenges in achieving their goals clinically and scientifically. In order in developing countries, there are social and cultural barriers that to try to overcome some of such challenges, dedicated strategies hinder the empowerment of women. Women’s low status, depri- are needed to support the advancement of women socially, profes- vation of education and lack of control over their own lives and sionally and health wise. Such an approach needs local, regional bodies have a negative impact on their professional development and global advocacy to support women in their efforts to be fully be it in medicine or science. A study in Pakistan indicated that to integrated into modern medical and scientific societies.1 improve women’s professional career, a concerted action is needed by the family, community, healthcare systems and the state in or- A survey in Australia checked the health promotion role der to achieve gender equality and the greater empowerment of of doctors in a women’s and community health centers and in women.4 Further, domestic violence and poverty were identified as private practices. It was found that doctors within women’s and additional stress factors that hinder the empowerment of women community health centers are more likely to report involvement in in India.5 A more recent study in Iran indicated the importance of group health promotion activity and broader community develop- women’s empowerment through foraging their health information ment initiatives.2 seeking rights and comprehensive health information adherence.6 It is our strong belief that advocating for women will undoubtedly The Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC), as a re- contribute to the improvement of both women’s own health and gional organization of individuals, clinical and academic institu- their active involvement in the promotion of health (clinically and tions had a unique opportunity to promote the role of gender in scientifically) worldwide.
health. We have found that there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. Moreover, we feel For nurses to advance in their profession, one should be that no policy is more important in reducing conflict or in achiev- able to lead the nursing profession in a positive light without re- ing reconciliation. A study in Nepal concluded that the empower- strictions related to gender. Female nurses are often not empow- ment of female community health volunteers will bring sustainable ered to break the traditional culture of silence and more women change in women’s performance and will consequently produce than men work part-time.7 cc Copyright 2018 by Silbermann M. This is an open-access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), Palliat Med Hosp Care Open J. 2018; 4(1): e1-e2. doi: 10.17140/PMHCOJ-4-e006 In healthcare people have a real opportunity to make a difference of Medicine. Acad Med. 2014; 89: 1462-1466. doi: 10.1097/ in people’s lives, and women nurses often use critical thinking ACM.0000000000000403 skills, initiate lifesaving measures, evaluate and effectively monitor their patients. Further, they listen and counsel the patient and his/ 2. Baum F, Kalucy E, Lawless A, Barton S, Steven I. Health pro- her family and extend important emotional support. Yet, women motion in different medical settings: Women’s health, community empowerment can be achieved only when they gain the proper health and private practice. Aust N Z J Public Health. 1998; 22: 200- education and are financially independent. Also, the work of the 205. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.1998.tb01172.x female nurse as manager strengthens the teamwork, which im- proves the team’s image thereby contributing to its identity. There- 3. Shrestha S. A conceptual model for empowerment of the fe- fore, without the empowerment of women and gender equality, male community health volunteers in Nepal. Educ Health (Abing- it is impossible to obtain sustainable growth globally. Promoting don). 2003; 16: 318-327.
women in the health sector, generally, and in nursing, in particular, induces essential creativity and a real change in the nurses’ mission. 4. Qureshi N, Shaikh BT. Women’s empowerment and health: The It is therefore highly recommended that female nurses are equally role of institutions of power in Pakistan. Eastern Mediterranean represented in all levels of policy making, in decision making posi- Health Journal. 2007; 13: 1459-1465.
5. Kermode M, Herrman H, Arole RF, White J, Premkumar R, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Patel V. Empowerment of women and mental Health promotion: A qualitative study in rural Maharashtra, India. BMC Public Health. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
2007; 7: 225-235. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-7-225 DISCLOSURES 6. Nasrabadi AN, Sabzevari S, Bonabi TN. Women empowerment through health information seeking? A qualitative study. Int J Com- Both authors contributed equally to the writing of this Editorial. munity Based Nurs Midwifery. 2015; 3: 105-115.