Equal opportunities in care: How we shape the future together

Gerda, a nurse with over ten years of experience, starts her day like many in her field: ensuring patients receive compassionate care, managing complex treatments and often working unpaid overtime. Although women make up over 67% of the global health and care workforce, they experience slower promotions, lower wages and fewer opportunities for advancement compared to their male counterparts (WHO, 2024) PMNCH. Gerda's story shows the challenges that many women face in healthcare and highlights the urgent need for equal opportunities in this field.

The current situation in care and gender inequality

Despite the high proportion of women, there is considerable gender inequality in the health and care sector worldwide. Statistics show that female nurses earn on average 24% less than their male colleagues - a pay gap that is greater than in most other sectors World Health Organization (WHO) This discrepancy persists despite the fact that women often perform equal or even more intensive work, work a large proportion of unpaid overtime and take on essential care roles. The unequal representation of women in caregiving is an unfortunate legacy of societal and historical norms that devalue professions traditionally filled by women PMNCH. 

In addition to lower salaries, women are underrepresented in leadership positions. According to a WHO report, men occupy over half of senior roles in healthcare, despite being vastly outnumbered in the workforce World Health Organization (WHO) This gap in leadership not only hinders women's career advancement, but also affects the quality and inclusivity of health policy, as decisions at higher levels often do not reflect the perspective of the majority.

Why is equal opportunity in care important?

Gender inequality in healthcare has far-reaching and lasting consequences, not only for women, but also for the healthcare system as a whole. A lack of equal opportunities in pay and promotion leads to:

Reduced job satisfaction and retention    

Qualified nurses like Gerda suffer from burnout due to persistent undervaluation and underpayment, leading many to leave the profession altogether - a factor that exacerbates the global skills shortage World Health Organization (WHO).

Impact on patient care    

unequal treatment affects morale, which has a negative impact on the quality of care. High turnover rates and inadequate staffing disrupt the continuity of patient care and reduce its quality.

Missed opportunities for comprehensive policymaking    

Diverse leadership is critical to health policies that serve the entire population. When women are excluded from leadership positions, health policies can fail to meet the needs of female patients.

Tackling the root causes: a multi-level solution is needed

Achieving equality of opportunity in care and healthcare requires tackling both the structural and cultural causes of inequality.

Structural reforms

• Equal pay for equal work: Organizations must create transparent pay structures and ensure that men and women are paid fairly for overtime worked.
• Flexible working time models: Women often bear the double burden of work and family care. Flexible working hours and hybrid working models can reduce this burden and promote a better work-life balance.
• Promoting women in leadership roles: Mentoring programs and targeted leadership training for women can close the gap in representation and empower more women to take on leadership positions.

Cultural change and public relations

• Dismantling gender stereotypes in nursing: Campaigns to combat the stereotype that nursing is "women's work" are essential. Putting successful male nurses in the spotlight can broaden the perception of the profession and make it attractive for all genders.
• Supporting women as decision-makers: Recognizing the contributions of women in healthcare and promoting them as decision-makers can create a more inclusive healthcare system where diverse perspectives inform decision-making.

Concrete steps forward

Some countries have already implemented reforms that could serve as a model for Austria. Norway, for example, relies on gender quotas in the healthcare sector to ensure that women are adequately represented at all levels. In the USA, pay equity laws have been introduced to make it easier for women to bring their salaries in line with their male colleagues. The introduction of similar regulations in Austria could provide a solution to gender inequality in the healthcare sector here.

Platforms like noracares provide essential support by connecting caregivers with families and advocating for fair working conditions. Digital platforms can play an important role in promoting equal opportunities by connecting caregivers to professional development resources and networking opportunities.

International comparisons

"A look beyond Austria's borders shows that gender inequality in care is a global phenomenon. Even though some countries have already made progress, the challenges are often similar. In Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden, for example, quotas have been successfully introduced to increase the proportion of women in management positions. There are also initiatives to promote equal opportunities in nursing in countries such as Canada and Australia.

A comparison with these countries shows that although Austria has already taken some measures to promote equality, there is still potential for further improvement. In particular, Austria lags behind in terms of the pay gap and the representation of women at management level. The experiences of other countries can serve as inspiration and show which measures are effective.

Intersectionality

"Gender inequality in care is only part of the problem. It is important to recognize that this inequality intersects with other forms of discrimination. For example, migrant women often experience double discrimination based on their gender and origin. Older care workers, especially women, may in turn face age discrimination.

The intersectionality of gender, origin, age, disability and other factors makes it clear that the causes of inequality are complex and that there are no simple solutions. In order to achieve true equality of opportunity, all forms of discrimination must be combated."

Impact on patient care

"The impact of gender inequality on patient care is multifaceted and profound. Studies have shown that higher female participation in leadership positions can lead to better patient care. Women in leadership positions often place a stronger emphasis on communication, empathy and teamwork, which has a positive impact on the work environment and patient satisfaction.

In addition, greater diversity in leadership positions can help ensure that the needs of different patient groups are better addressed. For example, women in management positions can help to better address the specific needs of female patients."

Role of men in nursing

"Men can play an important role in breaking down gender stereotypes in care and promoting an equal working culture. They can serve as role models and show that nursing is a profession that is suitable for all genders. Men can also help to improve working conditions in the care sector by campaigning for better pay and recognition of the profession.

It is important to actively involve men in efforts to promote equal opportunities. Through mentoring programs and awareness-raising activities, men can help create an environment in which all caregivers feel equally valued."

Work-Life-Balance:

A study by the German Professional Association for Nursing Professions (DBfK) has shown that nursing staff work an average of 48 hours per week, often in excess of their contractually agreed hours. Women in the care sector are particularly often affected by the double burden of work and family. This leads to a higher rate of exhaustion and burnout among women.

"Gerda still remembers the time when she had three small children. The night shifts at the clinic and the constant worry about her family were an enormous burden. She often felt burnt out and had the feeling that she couldn't juggle everything. Today, years later, she is glad that her employer now offers flexible working time models. This allows her to better reconcile her work with her private life and have more time for her family." 

Mental Health:

"Working as a nurse is often emotionally stressful. Gerda has experienced many difficult strokes of fate in her career and has had to learn to deal with them. She knows how important it is to talk about your feelings and, if necessary, seek professional help. Psychological counseling is offered at her hospital, which she has already taken advantage of several times herself."

Diversity and Inclusion:

"In her new department, Gerda works with a young colleague from Syria. He not only brings professional skills, but also a different cultural perspective. Gerda greatly appreciates this exchange and finds that it enriches her work. She is convinced that a diverse workforce helps to understand the needs of patients even better."

Role models:

"As a young woman, Gerda had no female role models in management positions at the hospital. Today, she is an experienced nurse herself and tries to encourage young female colleagues. She tells them about her own experiences and motivates them to pursue their career goals. Gerda is convinced that it is important to inspire young people and show them that women can also have a successful career in nursing."

Gerda's call for change

For Gerda, the journey is far from over. She dreams of an industry in which her commitment is valued just as much as that of her male colleagues, in which her work is rewarded equally and in which the next generation of care workers can look forward to a fairer and more inclusive working environment. With concrete action and collective determination, equal opportunities in healthcare can be achieved so that women and men can work together to create a better and healthier future for all.

Future vision

Imagine a future in which nursing is an attractive and recognized profession for all genders. A future where nurses are paid fairly, have flexible working hours and are given the opportunity for professional development. A future in which diversity and inclusion are a matter of course and in which all nurses have the opportunity to contribute their strengths and develop personally.

In this future, nursing staff will work together in interdisciplinary teams to ensure patient-centered and holistic care. Technological innovations make work easier and allow nurses to focus more on the human side of their work. Nursing is a profession that is highly regarded by society and in which all employees are held in the esteem they deserve."

Concrete action steps for this vision:

• Investing in care: More funding for care to enable better working conditions and higher wages.
• Flexible Working time models: Promoting flexible working time models to make it easier to reconcile work and family life.
• Further education: Expanding further training opportunities to increase the attractiveness of the profession and ensure the qualifications of nursing staff.
• Mentoring Programs: Establishing mentoring programs to promote the career path of women in leadership positions.
• Diversity management: Developing measures to promote diversity and inclusion in care.

• Prevention: Stronger focus on prevention to reduce the number of people in need of care.
• Collaboration with other professions: Collaborating more closely with doctors, therapists and other professional groups.
• Patient Participation: More involvement of patients in the design of care.

Nora's FAQs

Tackling gender inequality in healthcare is not only a moral obligation, but also essential to building a sustainable, effective and compassionate healthcare system. By implementing structural reforms, promoting cultural change and introducing inclusive policies, Austria and other countries can pave the way for true equality in care and healthcare. Together, we can honor the dedication of caregivers like Gerda by creating an industry that respects and rewards all people equally.

• Gender Pay Gap: The difference in income between men and women, with women earning less on average for the same work.
• Leadership: Regulations that require a certain percentage of management positions to be filled by underrepresented groups, such as women.
• Maintenance sector: Industries and professions that focus on caring for people, especially vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly.
• noracares: A digital platform that connects caregivers with families and offers resources for professional development and job placement.
• Intersectionality: The overlap of different grounds of discrimination such as gender, ethnic origin, age or disability, which can reinforce each other.
• Burnout: A state of emotional exhaustion caused by persistent overwork and stress.
• Mentoring: A form of personal advice and support in which an experienced person (mentor) supports a less experienced person (mentee) in their professional development.

• Diversity: diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and other characteristics.
• Inclusion: The active inclusion and appreciation of diversity.
• Care-Work: activities that focus on the care and support of people.
• Work-Life-Balance: The work-life balance.