{"id":268103,"date":"2020-04-02T17:00:38","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T21:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/issues\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T22:55:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:55:25","slug":"canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"issues","link":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kids in PEI recently participated in a superhero-themed virtual hangout, where some dressed up as \u2026. Dr. Heather Morrison. Morrison \u2013 who has also had a calf named after her<\/a> \u2013 is the province\u2019s chief public health officer. The COVID-19 pandemic has made Morrison and other chief public health officers and chief medical officers celebrities, and a significant number of these evidence-loving rockstars are women.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve had their faces emblazoned on t-shirts<\/a>, their portraits grace street murals<\/a>, and their press conferences have inspired YouTube performances<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s humbling,\u201d Morrison said in an interview. \u201cThe overwhelming feedback has been supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
PEI\u2019s Public Health Officer Heather Morrison at a news conference on April 1. Photo by Erika MacDonald\/Government of PEI.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of the 14 provincial and national chief medical officers and public health officers, 7 are women including Canada\u2019s chief medical officer, Dr. Theresa Tam. There are also women in public health officer roles in major cities such as Toronto and Ottawa.<\/p>\n

Over the past weeks, they\u2019ve been serving Canadians by managing an unprecedented infectious threat while also breaking down complex information under bright lights in demanding daily press conferences that have become appointment television across the country. Tam now appears in national television commercials \u2013 a rare platform for a public servant.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam arrives for a press conference on COVID-19 at West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on March 24, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Justin Tang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some of the focus on this group of women is frivolous \u2014 the frenzy around Alberta\u2019s chief medical health officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw\u2019s periodic table dress<\/a> and the Twitter account inspired by Toronto\u2019s Dr. Eileen de Villa\u2019s scarves<\/a> are just two examples.<\/p>\n

\n

starting april with some beautiful botanicals … no fools here pic.twitter.com\/fQjaApZMhK<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dr. de Villa’s Scarf (@de_scarf) April 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But mostly there\u2019s been a deep appreciation for these steady figures in these unsteady times.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re trustworthy figures in a time of great anxiety,\u201d said Dr. Leyla Asadi, an Edmonton-based infectious disease specialist pursuing a PhD in tuberculosis elimination strategies. \u201cI appreciate their technical expertise without it being coloured by political views.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Dr. Kami Kandola, chief public health officer for the Northwest Territories, in her office in Yellowknife on April 1, 2020. Photo by Pat Kane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s hope that the high profile afforded to women chief medical officers could influence a generation of girls behind them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing right now will have a huge impact on those young girls, not just the 10-year-olds, but even the 16-year-olds and 18-year-olds that are thinking about what they want to study at university,\u201d said Dr. Jane Philpott, a former federal health minister and hospital chief.<\/p>\n

Although the vast majority of health and social assistance workers are women, 81.25 percent<\/a>, and 55 percent of new medical students<\/a> are women, the proportions of women in leadership positions are another story. Only 12 per cent of Canada\u2019s deans of medicine were women in numbers compiled for 2018-19<\/a> \u2013 and there have been only 7 in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

In Canada, Ottawa-based researcher Ivy Lynn Bourgeault has been collecting data for a project with Women and Gender Equality Canada. Bourgeault, who holds the University of Ottawa\u2019s research chair in gender, diversity and the professions, says the gender leadership gap is clear: women are underrepresented in the most prestigious leadership roles in health, like deans or CEOs of large research hospitals, and second, they are proportionally underrepresented in other leadership roles.<\/p>\n

A Canadian Medical Association report<\/a> outlining barriers to women in the sector will be familiar to women across sectors: ingrained gender expectations, implicit bias that men make better leaders, harassment and a lack of mentors, to name a few.<\/p>\n

These challenges can lead to a lack of confidence \u2014 a difficult thing to measure and move the needle on. Dr. Shanthi Johnson, the dean of public health at the University of Alberta, sees this divide starting in the classroom. In a program where 59 percent of the students are women, she sees students who have capacity but don\u2019t have the opportunity to speak up.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in a classroom situation we need to [call on] students who are quiet\u2026to create that opportunity for them to gain that confidence,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe need to do that across the pipeline.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Alberta\u2019s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw updates mediain Edmonton on March 20, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Jason Franson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When asked if there were many women leaders to look up as a medical student in the early 1980s, Philpott is quick to answer: \u201cDefinitely not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in medical school [my professors] were almost entirely men,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd they still are in the higher ranks of leadership in both medical schools and hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Philpott attributes her confidence to pursue a career in health to growing up in a safe, loving home, recognizing that she didn\u2019t face barriers to advancement based on race or other factors that can be even more stifling than gender. But she says having role models is also key to being able to see yourself in leadership roles. That\u2019s part of why she\u2019s looking forward to stepping into her new role<\/a> as dean of health sciences at Queen\u2019s University in July.<\/p>\n

\u201cModelling is really critical because otherwise it\u2019s hard to break through,\u201d says Philpott.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
New Brunswick\u2019s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell. Photo courtesy of the Government of New Brunswick.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While gender is certainly not the only determinant of leadership style, research shows that diversity in health leadership benefits population health. In healthcare, the gaps in leadership have led to half the population being outright ignored. For instance, it wasn\u2019t until 1997 that Health Canada introduced guidelines on including women in pharmaceutical trials<\/a> after women\u2019s advocates called attention to the fact that women were taking drugs tested only on men.<\/p>\n

When women step into those roles, research shows it \u201ccreates a ripple effect that benefits families, communities, and countries,\u201d as noted by Cornell professor of medicine Jennifer A. Downs and her co-authors in the journal Public Health Action<\/em><\/a>. The authors use examples from India, where female politicians promoted immunization and the US, where women senators sponsored legislation to ensure screening of breast and cervical cancer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry speaks during a news conference in Vancouver, on March 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Darryl Dyck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Women in these roles are often motivated by seeking equity. It\u2019s a trait that was evident in Canada\u2019s earliest female physicians who fought to be included in medical schools in order to take care of their communities. Dr. Amelia Yeomans,<\/a> for instance, studied at the University of Michigan in the late 19th<\/sup> century before Canadian medical schools admitted women. She then practised in Winnipeg, looking at how social and economic conditions impacted the health of the unemployed, sex workers and the prison population.<\/p>\n

Heather Morrison in PEI hopes seeing women like her throughout this crisis will have an impact on young women considering a career in public health, and it appears she\u2019s already had an impact on girls. One of her staff passed on a message from one: \u201cWhen I grow up I want to be like Dr. Morrison.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they wouldn\u2019t have ever pictured doing that if they hadn\u2019t seen so many strong wonderful women in these roles,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

This visibility has been encouraging even for Asadi, who is already established in her career surrounded by women leaders. \u201cIt makes me feel like I could contribute in this space as well and why don\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

This article is part of the\u00a0The Coronavirus Pandemic: Canada\u2019s Response<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>special feature.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photo collage by Julia Bugiel.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kids in PEI recently participated in a superhero-themed virtual hangout, where some dressed up as \u2026. Dr. Heather Morrison. Morrison \u2013 who has also had a calf named after her \u2013 is the province\u2019s chief public health officer. The COVID-19 pandemic has made Morrison and other chief public health officers and chief medical officers celebrities, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":242160,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-10-08T02:55:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"d540914b-a96c-4f23-8702-73f8199a8023","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-10-08T02:55:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A1UCRS6lsTyOHAnP4GZqAIw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[9385,9372,9377],"tags":[8470,8493],"article-status":[],"irpp-category":[4247,4348,4286],"section":[],"irpp-tag":[7136],"class_list":["post-268103","issues","type-issues","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medias-et-culture","category-recent-stories-fr","category-sante","tag-covid-19","tag-gender-inequality-fr","irpp-category-covid","irpp-category-egalite-des-genres","irpp-category-sante","irpp-tag-medias-et-culture"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nCanada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kids in PEI recently participated in a superhero-themed virtual hangout, where some dressed up as \u2026. Dr. Heather Morrison. Morrison \u2013 who has also had a calf named after her \u2013 is the province\u2019s chief public health officer. The COVID-19 pandemic has made Morrison and other chief public health officers and chief medical officers celebrities, […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Policy Options\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IRPP.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-08T02:55:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@irpp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/\",\"name\":\"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-02T21:00:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-08T02:55:25+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/\",\"name\":\"Policy Options\",\"description\":\"Institute for Research on Public Policy\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/","og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight","og_description":"Kids in PEI recently participated in a superhero-themed virtual hangout, where some dressed up as \u2026. Dr. Heather Morrison. Morrison \u2013 who has also had a calf named after her \u2013 is the province\u2019s chief public health officer. The COVID-19 pandemic has made Morrison and other chief public health officers and chief medical officers celebrities, […]","og_url":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/","og_site_name":"Policy Options","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IRPP.org","article_modified_time":"2025-10-08T02:55:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@irpp","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/","url":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/","name":"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2020-04-02T21:00:38+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-08T02:55:25+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HeatherMorrisonApril1-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2020\/04\/canadas-chief-medical-officers-put-womens-leadership-in-spotlight\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Canada\u2019s chief medical officers put women\u2019s leadership in spotlight"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/#website","url":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/","name":"Policy Options","description":"Institute for Research on Public Policy","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issues\/268103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issues"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/issues"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268103"},{"taxonomy":"article-status","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article-status?post=268103"},{"taxonomy":"irpp-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/irpp-category?post=268103"},{"taxonomy":"section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section?post=268103"},{"taxonomy":"irpp-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/irpp-tag?post=268103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}