Our work on gender and career equality

Gender norms continue to determine career trajectories in global health. The health sector ought to lead on justice and fairness, but instead male privilege pervades, and is compounded by geographical under-representation. In our sample of 200 organisations, just 2% of non-profit board seats were held by women from low-income countries in 2024.

Global 50/50 works to advance gender justice, fairness and equity by generating rigorous evidence on workplace policies and practices across the global health sector. We champion women’s and feminist leadership, particularly from low- and middle-income countries, by holding institutions accountable and promoting environments where women can thrive and lead at every level.

G5050 initiatives

• Global Health 50/50 Report: The Global Health 50/50 Report provides the only birds-eye view of gender justice in the global health system today, assessing policies, practices and outcomes of some 200 organisations active in global health. Learn more here.
• Gender & Health Index: The Gender & Health Index presents organisations’ scores on commitments and policies for gender justice, enabling users to explore how performance has changed since 2018 and compare results across sectors, regions, and more. Learn more here.
• Gender Pay Gap Reporting: Around the world, few employers voluntarily report their gender pay gap. We review which do so in our sample, and analyse data from UK organisations that are mandated to report. We’ve found that over the past eight years, organisations led by women CEOs have smaller median gender pay gaps on average than organisations led by men. Learn more here.
• Rollback and Resistance: The US administration’s removal of language around gender and dismantling of DEI policies is reshaping gender equality, workplace equality, and global health priorities worldwide. This report presents data on how US-based organisations are responding, highlighting the risks, resistance, and urgent need for collective action to defend progress. Learn more here.
• Measuring feminist leadership principles: Feminist leadership, with its emphasis on collaborative decision-making, intersectional analysis, power-sharing, and transformative change often resists traditional leadership metrics. We are exploring how to develop tools to help organisations embed and evaluate feminist leadership in practice. Learn more here.
• Gender and Health 50/50 Nepal: This report, the first of its kind, examines whether health organisations fulfil Nepal’s commitment to gender equality and non-discrimination. A joint initiative with the Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA), we aim to generate evidence, policy recommendations and action on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nepal. Learn more here.

Resources for organisations

• Workplace Policy Repository: This repository brings together best practice examples of workplace policies from organisations across global health for anyone looking to write, review, or strengthen their policies to embed gender justice, fairness and equity in their organisation. Learn more here.
• Tools for Change: To support HR professionals and organisational leaders in driving meaningful change, we have curated a resource bank of good practice drawn from a range of experts, actors and sectors. We also offer information on external expertise that organisations can engage to support efforts to advance workplace fairness and equity.

Publications (selected)

• Where women lead, equality follows. Clark H, Rajeev A, Robinson L, Buse K.  BMJ 2025.
• Diversity in leadership: analysing representation in global committees on climate and health. Barik M, Buse K, Bhaumik S. BMJ Leader. 30 April 2025.
• Dismantling the structures of inequality: why we need feminist leadership in the health sector. Hawkes S, Baru R. BMJ 2024.
• Legislation for advancing women’s leadership in the health sector in India and Kenya: a ‘law cube’ approach to identify ways to strengthen legal environments for gender equality. Evagora-Campbell, M., Kedia, S., Odero, H. O., Uppal, R., Odunga, S. A., Mattoo, T., . . . Buse, K. BMJ Glob Health 2024.
• Strengthening systems of accountability for women’s leadership in the health sector. Buse K, Liwanag H J, Koay A, Kedia S, Kiwuwa-Muyingo S, Yoon S et al. BMJ 2024.
• Pathways to leadership: what accounts for women’s (in)equitable career paths in the health sectors in India and Kenya? A scoping review. Saville NM, Uppal R, Odunga SA, et al. BMJ Glob Health 2024.

Find additional publications here.