Synopsis:
International Women’s Day (IWD) is an annual global campaign, marked on 8th March, which celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. Each year the IWD campaign has a new theme, and in 2023 the theme is #EmbraceEquity. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/theme
IWD has occurred for over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.
This year at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) we have a panel of exceptional women leaders in healthcare joining us to discuss gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare, and why it is critical to embrace equity.
Speakers:
Shradha Balia is the Program Coordinator of The Education Hub & Medical Education at Melbourne Children’s Campus. An accomplished hotel and airline professional with Masters in Business Management, Shradha has enjoyed 15 years working at RCH in PIPER and Rheumatology and transforms innovative vision into reality to ensure operational success. She believes that everyone has potential and is passionate about bringing change in education and training opportunities for non-clinical teams on the Campus and in state-wide healthcare.
Dr Zoe McCallum is a paediatrician with over three decades of experience caring for children and families in the Australian health care system.
She is passionate about access to compassionate health care and quality of life for all. She works in the clinical area of Neurodisability and intestinal failure. She feels privileged to have worked at RCH for over 25 years and be part of the gargantuan team it takes to care for children and families.
She is a cisgender queer white woman who is the mother of 17 yr old twin boys. She knows cat videos will save the world.
Covid brought her a passion for crochet and hand arthritis. She wonders if she will ever feel that there is enough time left in the day.
Helen Jowett is the Trauma Program Manager at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne where she has practiced paediatric nursing for over 25 years. She is the current President of the Australian & New Zealand Trauma Society and the International Director with the Society of Trauma Nurses. Helen is passionate about improving the outcomes of children injured following major trauma and she is equally driven to ensure that all children, families, and health professionals affected by trauma are provided with optimal and equitable resources to manage the psychological affects, from exposure to traumatic events.
Dr Kudzai Kanhutu is a general infectious diseases physician currently providing clinical care to patients at Royal Melbourne Hospital. She joined the RACP in October 2022 as the College Dean. A recent Executive MBA candidate at the University of Sydney Business School, she takes a keen interest in social justice and has received national award recognition for her contribution to refugee health and telemedicine initiatives. Her special research interests include public health policy, women’s health and the use of digital health technology. She has a particular interest in technical solutions to health problems from her experiences of health innovation in her birth country Zimbabwe and working in rural and regional Australia.
Facilitators
Associate Professor Jane Munro is a paediatrician, Rheumatology, Department of General Medicine, The Royal Children’s Hospital and Senior Research Fellow, Arthritis and Rheumatology, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Professor Margie Danchin is a paediatrician, Department of General Medicine, The Royal Children’s Hospital, a David Bickart Clinician Scientist Fellow, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne and Group Leader of the Vaccine Uptake Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.