(Genesa Greening/ HuffPost Canada) — Today is International Women’s Day, and as I consider the seismic shifts that have occurred of late in the realms of business, arts and politics, I’m buoyed by the belief that women’s voices are finally being heard, inequity is being called out and change is coming. Once untouchable icons are falling, industries are being reshaped, and a new era has begun — except in my universe: the health sector.
I’ve experienced first-hand the feelings of not being believed by a physician, of feeling disrespected and being infantilized. In each instance, I found myself wondering if it’s just me? However, amidst this emerging conversation that #MeToo and #TimesUp have inspired, a fascinating separate dialogue is gaining prominence as more women share their stories of discrimination, inequitable treatment and frustration at not being able to receive timely, appropriate and respectful access to health care.
What had begun as self-wondering organically spilled over into conversations with my friends and colleagues as media worldwide gradually started to report on these stories. Judging by the overwhelming response, these issues resonate on a scale that was once hard for me to believe. (…)