Women on the Frontline: A Changed Workforce and the Fight Against COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic, with frontlines that look drastically different than in past conflicts: that is, women now make up a sizeable majority of the health care workforce. American women have a long history of helping in times of hardship, filling positions on the home front vacated by men who enlisted as soldiers during World War I and similarly serving in crucial roles on U.S. military bases, on farms, and in factories during World War II. The COVID-19 pandemic has represented a novel battleground, as the first in which women have taken center stage, not only in their roles as physicians, respiratory therapists, nurses, and the like, but also by serving in leadership positions and facilitating innovations in science, technology, and policy. Yet, the pandemic has exacerbated multiple pain points that have disproportionally impacted women in health care, including shortages in correctly sized personal protective equipment and uniforms, inadequate support for pregnant and breastfeeding providers, and challenges associated with work–life balance and obtaining childcare. While the pandemic has facilitated several positive advancements in addressing these challenges, there is still much work to be done for women to achieve equity and optimal support in their roles on the frontlines.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant: exploring healthcare workers’ awareness and perception of vaccine effectiveness: a national survey during the first week of WHO variant alert

“…This study explored HCWs' perceptions and beliefs of vaccine effectiveness and advocacy in relation to the emerging SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in KSA. Most respondents were females (62%), similar to a previous study about the Delta variants concern in KSA, and in agreement with other studies showing females to be the mainstream among HCWs [11,13,14].…”

COVID-19 Delta Variant: Perceptions, Worries, and Vaccine-Booster Acceptability among Healthcare Workers

“…Although the Saudi MOH recently announced that the Delta variant is circulating in the KSA after these data were collected, many HCWs anticipated that this variant would be encountered. While most of our study respondents (62.2%) were female, this is in line with other studies that showed a predominance of the female sex among frontline COVID-19 HCWs [15,20]. Among the estimated 49 million frontline HCWs in the E.U., around 76% are female [21].…”

Advancing Equity in Academic Medicine

“…Rabinowitz and Rabinowitz, 25 Lewiss and Jagsi, 26 20 speak about the importance of diversity within Hispanic identity, noting that "academic medicine risks ignoring the distinctive struggles of different minority groups if antiracism efforts are solely aimed at racial categories or an amalgamate 'people of color. '" "A more inclusive future for academic medicine, " as noted by members of our journal's editorial board, 16 "will be enacted not through sentiment, but by means of individual, structural, and symbolic action. "…”