‘Leave leadership to men’: Women battle stereotypes in health sector - Punch Newspapers
Despite women making up 60 per cent of Nigeria’s health workforce, they remain underrepresented in leadership roles in their professional associations. From nursing and medicine to pharmacy, only a handful of women have risen to the highest elective positions. While some women cite hostility, gender stereotypes and demanding leadership schedules, others point to personal choice and the challenge of balancing work and family. JANET OGUNDEPO reports
When Dr Ime Okon decided to contest for the position of secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State chapter, in 2020, she faced attempts to discourage her before the election.
People called and visited her home, telling her that the position was too demanding for a woman and should be left to men. Even her husband wondered why the visitors kept coming.
But Okon, now the Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of Apapa General Hospital and President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, said she was not deterred.
“When they came to discourage me from going for secretary, that role is exclusively for males; it’s too hectic. And I said, what’s the difference?. When we were in medical school, did they set our exams differently?” she recalled.
She contested against two male candidates and won. Okon said her tenure was subsequently commended by senior colleagues who described it as productive and progressive.
Yet, Okon said the experience exposed the resistance women could face when seeking leadership positions in professional associations.
She further noted that women were often encouraged to contest positions such as treasurer or financial secretary rather than higher offices.
“What happens to the first vice chairman? What happens to the chairman itself?” she asked.
For Okon, the challenge is not simply getting women to contest. She said the environment surrounding professional association politics could itself discourage women from seeking leadership.
“Why should it be so toxic and you have to struggle so much because you want to serve?” she asked.
She said meetings that lasted until 11pm or midnight could be particularly difficult for younger women with children and school runs to manage.
Okon recalled supporting a female doctor who contested for secretary-general of the NMA at the national level and said the experience exposed her to some of the negativity surrounding women’s participation in medical politics.
Okon believes such experiences can discourage women who might otherwise be willing to serve.
While Okon described resistance and hostility as barriers, not all female doctors interviewed attributed women’s limited participation to discrimination or active exclusion.
Okon, meanwhile, urged women to support one another and encourage more female doctors to contest for senior positions rather than retreat after facing resistance.
She said women had demonstrated their competence in clinical practice, medical education and hospital management and should have greater opportunities to contribute to professional governance.
A female doctor and gynaecologist who preferred to be anonymous said she had never considered contesting for an elective position.
She, however, emphasised that her decision was based on personal interest rather than a belief that leadership belonged to men.
“I’ve never attempted. I’ve never even thought about it. I’m just not a very political person. I just feel it’s for other people, not necessarily men,” she said.
The female gynae confirmed that women were gradually entering leadership as awareness increased and more began to believe they could compete for positions previously dominated by men.
She suggested that professional associations could consider gender quotas to encourage women to contest, particularly those who might assume that men would always prevail in elections.
“If you have already said that, we have slated some positions for women or at least a quota for women. If there are 10 people, we don’t want the 10 to be men. Then women will now know, yes, I can come out,” she said.
A paediatrician, who also pleaded anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that the demands of professional association leadership can discourage women, especially those with young children or undergoing residency training.
She said some national positions require extensive travel, meetings and long periods away from home, making it difficult to combine leadership with professional and family responsibilities.
The child health expert, who previously contested for and won the position of public relations officer at the local level of her professional association, said she did not experience gender-specific difficulties in that role.
She also disputed the suggestion that women were necessarily pushed into less influential positions, arguing that candidates often choose which offices to contest and that some positions, including secretary, could be particularly demanding.
For her, the central challenge was whether women could accommodate the workload alongside their other responsibilities.
“Women are tasked with a lot of things. You have to combine family with work and your personal life,” she said.
The paediatrician added that women with young families could find it difficult to commit the time required by professional associations.
Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the country has had 25 substantive Ministers of Health serve in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with Dr Moses Majekodunmi becoming the first post-independence Minister of Health.
Thirty-nine years after independence, the country appointed its first female Minister of State for Health, Dr Amina Ndalolo, who served from 1999 to 2003 under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Forty-seven years after independence, Nigeria appointed its first female Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, in July 2007. She served for nine months before resigning in March 2008.
Sixty-six years after independence, Nigeria has produced only one female Minister of Health and one female Minister of State for Health.
To promote greater representation and participation of women in the country, the Federal High Court in Abuja, in April 2022, ordered the Federal Government to enforce the National Gender Policy by allocating 35 per cent of public-sector appointments to women.
However, four years later, the order has yet to be implemented.
Yet, Nigeria ranks 143rd out of 145 countries in the gender political empowerment sub-index according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2026.
According to the United Nations, women comprise about 60 per cent of health workers, yet women’s representation in leadership in the health sector is low.
A recent study conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Women and published on The Lancet Medical journal, women now make up nearly 70 per cent of health workers worldwide but remain concentrated in lower-paid professions with fewer leadership opportunities.
PUNCH Healthwise previously reported that 35 per cent of doctors in the country are women. Other findings show that women make up about 85 per cent to 87 per cent of the nursing and midwifery workforce in Nigeria, yet its leadership position, especially at the national level, is largely male-dominated.
Findings reveal that of all the 76 medical directors of federal government-owned hospitals, only a handful of women have been appointed or are currently appointed as MDs.
One of them is the Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof Idia Ize-Iyamu. A few other women are the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Onitsha, Anambra State, Dr Mercy Anugwu and the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, Taraba State, Dr Aisha Adamu.
Another notable woman is the pioneer CMD of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Ebonyi State, Prof Uzoma Agwu, whose four-year tenure ended on June 30, 2026.
In Lagos State, the MWAN president reliably told PUNCH Healthwise that of the 29 general hospitals, 10 out of the 29 medical directors are female.
In 2017, Mrs Bolanle F.O. Adeniran made history when she was elected as the 15th Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Lagos State Branch, becoming the first woman to occupy the position.
Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, Adeniran, popularly known as Mama Niyen, said emerging into the leadership position was the result of several decades of hard work, grassroots engagement and participation in the association.
Adeniran, also known as BOF, said although the demands of the office were greater, she was able to manage them because she had structures in place that enabled her to balance her responsibilities at home with those of the office.
The septuagenarian said she would like to see another woman emerge as Lagos State chairman and eventually as national president of the PSN.
However, she said such a woman must merit the position, have credibility and demonstrate the ability to serve and deliver.
The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, the umbrella body of trained professional nurses and midwives in the country, was formed on December 8, 1977.
In 1978, two female nurses, Hannatu Omole and Julie Omigbo, emerged as the pioneer president and deputy president of the association, respectively.
In 1982, Mrs Josephine Anyamene succeeded Omole as president.
According to information on the NANNM website, the association has had 11 national presidents since 1978, but only two have been women, with Omole and Anyamene being the only female presidents.
An ENT nurse in Gombe State, who pleaded anonymity, said gender inequality, family responsibilities and nursing demands contributed to low representation of women in union leadership.
The nurse, who contested and won the position of unit secretary in 2002, said she faced no opposition after colleagues encouraged her.
She said female nurses combined shift work with family responsibilities, making union leadership difficult.
“It is quite demanding,” she said, adding that she had no interest in state or national leadership because of the stress.
She suggested reducing women’s workload and providing assistance to women who take up leadership roles.
The origin of the Nigerian Medical Association could be traced to 1951, when the British Medical Association attempted to establish a branch in Nigeria, before it matured into the Nigerian Medical Association in 1960.
Since its establishment, the NMA has had 33 presidents between 1960 and 2026.
The NMA president, Prof Afekhide Omoti, said the low representation of women in the association’s leadership was multifactorial and linked to structural, cultural, institutional and personal factors.
NMA President, Prof. Afekhide Omoti
Omoti said the NMA had historically been dominated by men, with political networks and mentorship structures largely developing around male leaders, making it more difficult for women to enter leadership pipelines.
He also identified work and family responsibilities as a factor, noting that female doctors often carry a disproportionate share of childcare, elder care and household responsibilities.
He explained that the NMA leadership requires extensive travel, evening meetings, campaigning and weekend commitments, which can make participation more difficult for women, especially during their childbearing and child-rearing years.
“Women seeking leadership positions may face greater scrutiny and higher expectations than their male counterparts, while assertive women may be unfairly perceived as aggressive rather than decisive,” he said.
Omoti further identified limited mentorship and sponsorship, the financial and networking demands of NMA elections, cultural expectations that women should prioritise family over public leadership, and the limited number of female role models in top NMA positions as other factors.
He said women did contest NMA leadership positions and that it would be inaccurate to say they mostly opted out, but noted that relatively few had reached the highest offices.
“Only one woman, Dr Tinuola Abiola-Oshodi, was elected National President in 1988-1990. This illustrates that while women participate, very few have reached the presidency,” he said.
Omoti said the NMA’s electoral process was formally open to all eligible members regardless of gender, with no constitutional provision preventing female doctors from contesting any elective office.
However, he acknowledged that the practical realities of campaigning, including networking, travel, financial commitments and time, could create challenges that may disproportionately affect female doctors because of wider societal and professional factors.
He said some leadership requirements could also unintentionally disadvantage women, particularly the expectation that national candidates should have previous leadership experience at branch, state or committee levels.
“If women are underrepresented at these earlier levels, fewer are positioned to compete for top national offices,” he said.
He noted, however, that the NMA’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan emphasised leadership development, institutional strengthening and succession planning, although it did not set specific gender targets for elected offices.
He also cited the role of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria in mentoring, training and encouraging female doctors to take on leadership roles.
Omoti said he would like to see greater representation of women in the NMA’s national leadership, not simply because they were women, but because the association should benefit from the talents and perspectives of all its members.
“Leadership should always be based on merit, competence, integrity, and commitment to service,” he said.
He said greater representation could broaden perspectives and strengthen the association’s ability to address issues affecting doctors.
Rather than imposing rigid targets, Omoti advocated equal opportunities and reforms that would remove barriers discouraging qualified women from aspiring to leadership.
He recommended leadership development programmes, mentorship and sponsorship, greater participation of women in committees and task forces, transparent electoral processes, work-life supportive practices, leadership succession planning and periodic monitoring of gender representation in committees, appointed positions and elected offices.
He said women should be encouraged to contest branch and state offices as a pathway to national leadership and that the association should deliberately identify and nurture talented doctors from diverse backgrounds.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has had 24 presidents since its establishment, but only one woman has occupied the position, according to the current President of the PSN, Prof Ayuba Tanko.
Tanko said the situation was changing, noting that more women were beginning to show interest in leadership positions within the association.
“More women are now showing interest; at least one contested against me in 2024,” the PSN president said.
He said women had also made progress in other leadership positions within the association, with four of the 12 elected members of the National Executive Council being women.
Tanko added that women also led one of the association’s four technical groups and three of its four interest groups.
He noted that the association had had female pioneers, including its first female president, who assumed office in 1997 and later became a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Asked about the factors responsible for the low representation of women in leadership, Tanko identified apathy among women at the broader societal level as one of the factors.
However, he said the figures within the PSN showed that women were increasingly participating in the association’s leadership.
“We are progressively inclined, so reforms are constantly a feature of our governance architecture,” he said.
Although women make up the majority of Nigeria’s nursing workforce, men continue to dominate leadership positions in the profession, according to the National Chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions Sector, Comr. Morakinyo Rilwan.
Rilwan attributed the disparity partly to the demands of union leadership, which include travelling, nocturnal meetings and extensive engagements, saying these responsibilities could be difficult for women who also have family responsibilities.
He said some women were also discouraged by the perception that leadership required them to be vocal and withstand insults and difficult professional issues, including remuneration and placement concerns.
“Most of them actually feel discouraged because of that,” he said, adding that some women also believed men were naturally better suited to leadership and could support male candidates over female candidates.
Rilwan noted that the situation varied across regions, saying women occupied a large proportion of leadership positions among nurses in the South-East.
He said cultural expectations, concerns about women travelling and attending late meetings, and family responsibilities could discourage women from seeking leadership positions.
According to him, the same challenges affect women’s participation in politics, where cultural and religious perceptions, intimidation and concerns about travelling and meeting people at night have historically discouraged women.
However, Rilwan said the nursing profession had the potential to produce more female leaders, particularly because of its large female workforce.
He said the association’s delegate election system and rotational presidency could also create opportunities for a woman to emerge as national president when the leadership position is zoned to a region that presents a female candidate.
“Because of the rotational presidency, it is very, very possible,” he said.
Rilwan also confirmed that the association’s first president was a woman, but said no woman had occupied the position after the succession of the early female presidents, Josephine Anyamene and Anna Tshomoli, with subsequent presidents being men.
A sociologist and Executive Director of the Women and Children Health Empowerment Foundation, Beden Barnabas, said the underrepresentation of women in leadership across the health sector was driven by gender stereotypes, cultural expectations, unequal opportunities and the unequal distribution of power.
She further noted that women who take up leadership positions in professional associations would have opportunities to develop their leadership skills, demonstrate their capabilities and gain experience that could prepare them for political and other leadership roles.
“I believe that if women take leadership positions at association level, it will prepare them for taking leadership positions in political spheres and other areas,” she said.
The sociologist argued that the limited opportunities available to women to demonstrate leadership in professional and community settings could affect their representation in the political arena.
“The lack of female representation in the political arena could also boil down to a lack of opportunities to build our leadership skills and then to express our leadership capabilities in other smaller rooms that we occupy,” Barnabas said.
However, WACHEF’s ED asserted that women also needed to prepare themselves for leadership by developing the skills and qualities required to lead.
“Being a leader is not just entitled. You have to have those qualities. How many of us are really prepared for leadership positions? How many of us have those qualities to actually lead?” she asked.
The sociologist urged women to demonstrate leadership qualities in their workplaces and actively develop their potential so that they could be trusted when leadership opportunities arose.
She further noted that increasing women’s representation would require changes both within institutions and outside the workplace.
Barnabas called for discrimination against women in leadership to be addressed, workplace cultures that tolerate discrimination to be changed and gender stereotypes about women’s leadership capabilities to be challenged.
“Women should not have the chunk of domestic responsibilities like caregiving. This would give women an opportunity to network and then to meet with people outside working hours, to be able to move around so that they get those opportunities and probably be in rooms where decisions on who leads and who doesn’t are made,” she said.
She identified the need for institutional and individual mentorship, stating that the small number of women already in leadership meant there were fewer female mentors available to guide aspiring women leaders.
Barnabas urged women to actively seek mentorship and develop themselves to become “leadership ready”.
“When our name comes up, people would trust us to be able to handle the responsibility that comes with leadership,” she said.
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