A national roadmap to advance equity, leadership and opportunity for women across Australian health and medical sciences

Women in the Health and Medical Sciences: Decadal Plan sets out a ten-year, evidence-based roadmap to dismantle systemic barriers, foster leadership and embed equity for women across Australia’s health and medical sciences (HMS).

Developed by the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS) in consultation with more than 30 organisations and 31 senior leaders, the Plan responds to a persistent inequity: while women make up 52% of the health and medical research workforce, they occupy only around one in four of the most senior leadership roles.

Despite significant national progress in gender equality across other sectors – with Australia now ranked 13^th globally by the World Economic Forum, up from 70^th in 2021 – the HMS sector has largely been overlooked in policy and investment.

The Decadal Plan fills this gap, providing a practical, systems-level strategy to achieve meaningful and measurable reform by 2035.

 

Why a Decadal Plan?

The HMS workforce is the engine of Australia’s research, innovation, health and wellbeing, spanning universities, medical research institutes, health services and industry. It delivers world-leading advances from vaccines and public health breakthroughs to clinical innovations and biotechnology.

Yet the sector’s potential is constrained by structural and cultural barriers that limit women’s progression and leadership. These include insecure employment, fragmented career pathways, inequitable funding structures, and workplace cultures that do not always support inclusion and flexibility.

The Decadal Plan makes clear that equity is not just about fairness – it is fundamental to research excellence, national productivity, and health outcomes. Diverse leadership strengthens science, ensures research reflects the communities it serves, and drives better policy and practice.

Key statistics

• Women represent 52% of the HMS workforce but hold only 26% of the most senior leadership roles.
• Women occupy just 21% of Lead or Chief Investigator positions across major health research projects.
• 55% of women in the sector report career interruptions, compared with 27% of men – most commonly due to caregiving responsibilities.

 

The vision for 2035

Our vision is that by 2035, Australia’s HMS workforce will be a model of equity, inclusion and excellence; a sector where all women can reach their leadership potential and contribute fully to shaping research, innovation and policy.

The Plan envisions:

• An integrated national policy environment aligning gender equity across research, health, and industry.
• Transparent, fair and equitable funding systems.
• Secure and sustainable career pathways for women at all stages.
• Organisational cultures that are inclusive, safe and accountable.
• Coordinated, evidence-based implementation led through a National Taskforce for Advancing Gender Equity in HMS.

 

Five strategic opportunities for change:

1. Integrated national policy environment: Align gender equity efforts across government, academia, healthcare and industry through a unified framework under the National Health and Medical Research Strategy.
2. Fair and equitable funding structures: Embed transparency and accountability across grant schemes, address bias in funding design, and support gender-balanced leadership in research investment.
3. Health and medical sciences workforce strategy: Develop a national workforce plan and data framework to track progress, improve equity, and support women’s advancement — including through targeted leadership and mentorship programs.
4. Organisational change for inclusive, safe and equitable workplaces: Strengthen leadership, culture and accountability across the sector to ensure environments where all researchers can thrive.
5. Implementation: Establish a National Taskforce for Advancing Gender Equity in HMS to drive coordinated reform, monitor progress and ensure sustainability across ten years of implementation.

 

A call to national action:

“The evidence is clear: equity drives innovation, productivity and impact. This Plan outlines how we can embed measurable, systemic change across funding, leadership, culture and policy to deliver outcomes for women and for the nation.”

– Professor Louise Baur AM PresAHMS, President, AAHMS

 

“Women have long been the backbone of the health and medical sciences – as clinicians, researchers, educators and leaders – yet their full potential remains constrained by persistent structural inequities. This Plan is a blueprint for change, designed to ensure that talent, innovation and leadership can flourish across the sector.”

– Professor Helena Teede AM FAHMS, Chair, Expert Advisory Group

 

Download the report here

 

Download the appendices here

 

Professor Helena Teede AM FAHMS (Chair)

Director, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Monash University

 

Dr Saraid Billiards

Chief Executive Officer, Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes

 

Dr Janin Bredehoeft

Chief Executive Officer, Science in Australia Gender Equity

 

Professor Clara Chow AM FAHMS

Professor, The University of Sydney, and Cardiologist and Academic Director, Westmead Applied Research Centre

 

Professor Farah Magrabi

Professor, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University

 

Associate Professor Merryn McKinnon

Interim Pro Vice Chancellor – Learning and Teaching, Australian National University

 

Professor Anna Peeters AM FAHMS

Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation

 

Professor John Prins FAHMS

Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney

 

Professor Michelle Ryan

Director, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and Professor, The Australian National University

 

Mr Trent Zimmerman

Former Member for North Sydney. Director, Corporate Affairs, Alexion Pharmaceuticals Australasia

 

Associate Professor Cindy Thamrin (Observer)

Principal Research Scientist and Director, Performance and Evaluation Section, Health and Medical Research Office, Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

 

Ms Prue Torrance (Observer)

General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, National Health and Medical Research Council