Lebanon Hosts First 'By Women, For Women' Healthcare Leadership Workshop

• Eighteen female healthcare professionals representing various parts of Lebanon attended a two-day workshop.
• The program was entitled "By Women, For Women—Leadership Mastery in Healthcare."
• The workshop centered on the convergence of leadership and healthcare

A total of eighteen women working in healthcare from all across Lebanon attended the first "By Women, For Women- Leadership Mastery in Healthcare" workshop, a two-day workshop focused on integrating healthcare and leadership.

The workshop was co-organized by The Center for Women in Business at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the AUB Medical Center (AUBMC).

Women make up the majority of Lebanon's healthcare workforce; leadership positions are still predominantly male-led.

Along with ongoing support for women with leadership knowledge, skills, and strategies in order to contribute to women’s professional development within that sector, the initiative was designed to aid with correcting the leadership imbalance.

In his welcoming remarks, Professor Yusuf Sidani, dean of the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, stated the school is dedicated to championing women as leaders while also stressing that advancing equity is one pathway toward innovation and advancement for institutions.

Dr. Nada Khaddage-Soboh, director of the Center for Women in Business, greeted the program, linking it to the center's past QUDWA initiative that had involved women in Lebanon's informal economy. She described the workshop as the beginning of a longer-term effort to further enhance women's leadership in health.

Workshop sessions addressed a variety of leadership topics. Dr. Ghina Ghazeeri, Division Chief for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at AUBMC, presented a session on healthcare leadership basics, touching on evidence-based care, management of teams, and decision-making. She also discussed the sub representation of women as leaders in the field.

Other presentations were on organisational change and innovation facilitated by Dr. Rola Chami-Malaeb, AUB assistant professor of human resource management, with input provided by Manal Ayoub, AUBMC fertility nurse.

Dr. Mona Itani, OSB assistant professor of entrepreneurship, discussed entrepreneurial mindset in healthcare environments.