In the last two years, more than 50% of new faculty appointments at the Faculty of Medicine have been women. In 2020, women received over half of the Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence. And, with the Faculty’s strong promotions and appointments process and its commitment to diversity, more women than ever are in leadership positions.
In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, three women in leadership roles share their thoughts on fostering female leaders.
Dr. Manon Denis-LeBlanc
Vice-Dean, Francophone Affairs
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine
Family Physician, Montfort Hospital
The number of female leaders is on the rise at the Faculty—what changes is this bringing, and what is your advice to the Faculty to continue on this trajectory?
I dream of the day when extra steps aren’t needed to make sure there are as many female leaders as male leaders, and that equity is naturally present. I do believe we are getting closer to this day. I feel the arrival of "the woman" in general has allowed the traditional model of leadership to be deconstructed and humanized, bringing it more latitude and more varied styles. But I must say, I am proud to see that a person’s leadership style reveals more about their individuality than their gender. Ultimately, I believe that it is diversity that actually brings about the most creativity and complementarity among leaders, and our faculty encourages this brilliantly.
What does it mean to you to be a female leader at the Faculty?
The Faculty, and in particular our current dean Dr. Bernard Jasmin, allow me a great deal of latitude in the way I lead my team, which I very much appreciate. This allows me to flourish as a creative, ambitious, valiant and sensitive leader, and I believe my team reflects these qualities wonderfully. The strength of Francophone Affairs certainly lies in the teamwork.
How have you been able to help other women with their career aspirations?
I simply love accompanying young people on their journey—this is the main reason I love teaching so much! In fact, I never turn down a learner in my clinical work. And with more and more women entering family medicine, I have so many opportunities to help them with their aspirations. Again, I approach it as teamwork, and I think these young women appreciate it.
Dr. Manisha Kulkarni
Interim Director, Global Health Program, International and Global Health Office
Associate Professor and Researcher, School of Epidemiology and Public Health
The number of female leaders is on the rise at the Faculty—what changes is this bringing, and what is your advice to the Faculty to continue on this trajectory?
As more women take on leadership roles, the more we can collectively strive to achieve gender equality, which ultimately benefits everyone. I believe that the best decision-making happens when there is a diversity of voices around the table. It’s very encouraging to see a rising number of female leaders at the Faculty who are serving as role models for the future generation of female leaders, and who are bringing their diverse perspectives to shape the Faculty’s strategic directions and decisions.
What does it mean to you to be a female leader at the Faculty?
In my role as interim director of the Global Health Program, I place importance on developing a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to moving the global health agenda forward. To do this, I’m able to draw on my experience working with a broad range of stakeholders both inside and outside of academia, from foreign ministries of health to international NGOs and local community groups. This means understanding different viewpoints and interests and finding common ground to advance on shared priorities.
How have you been able to help other women with their career aspirations?
I’ve been fortunate to be able to mentor some amazing female students, many of whom have already completed their degrees and pursued further studies or careers in epidemiology and global health. I try to nurture talent and provide opportunities for my students to gain visibility and confidence through conferences and networking. By integrating my students into my applied research initiatives, where they can work alongside partners from other countries or non-academic sectors, they gain practical and professional skills that can help them to succeed in their future careers.
Dr. Clare Liddy
Chair and Professor, Department of Family Medicine
Senior Researcher, Bruyère Research Institute
Family physician, Ottawa Hospital Academic Family Health Team
The number of female leaders is on the rise at the Faculty—what changes is this bringing, and what is your advice to the Faculty to continue on this trajectory?
It is a delight to see more women in leadership positions at the Faculty of Medicine. This diversity brings new ideas to the table and encourages innovative thinking amongst all the leadership. Women need to be invited early on in their careers and offered leadership training. They need to be identified as emerging leaders and supported in building a skill set for the senior positions. Family-friendly policies should be encouraged and this is of benefit to all.
What does it mean to you to be a female leader at the Faculty?
I am extremely proud to be in this position. I see it as a huge opportunity to be a role model for other women and indeed this was one of the drivers for me to accept the role of chair of Department of Family Medicine here at University of Ottawa. I am excited to be leading the largest clinical department at the Faculty of Medicine. This team is engaged in cutting-edge family medicine education and research, which is leading to overall improved health of our population.
How have you been able to help other women with their career aspirations?
First and foremost, I try to be a role model for other women in medicine and encourage them to consider the variety of leadership opportunities. These roles are exciting and can lead to tremendous opportunity for impact. I am trying to support leadership training, identify the young emerging leaders and invite them directly to the leadership table. I openly talk about the challenges of life balance with the competing demands of family and clinical practice and try to model some of the simple techniques that I use on a day-to-day basis.
Note: All photos were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Women in Leadership Fund was established as a tribute to recognize the past Dean Peter Walker’s leadership in creating a work environment that is supportive of women and encourages them to pursue leadership roles.
