Happy International Women’s Day to the staff of QEH and our patients.

March 8th is set aside internationally to recognize the unique and special issues that continue to affect women.Here at QEH we continue to make strides in issues of gender equality. Although we have a long history of pioneering women and trailblazers across the institution in nursing, medicine, paramedical and administration, we have appointed more female Consultants over the past three years than any other period in the hospital’s history. QEH truly represents the kind of gender diverse workplace that many organizations aspire to.

Women are in leadership and decision making across the length and breadth of the institution. This year’s theme innovation and technology for gender equality draws our attention to a gap. There is need for greater involvement of women and other marginalized groups in planning the digital and ICT advancement of the QEH. It also raises our awareness that as we develop telemedicine and other digital solutions, the QEH will ensure programming is gender responsive and does not exacerbate existing societal inequalities and gender-based violence through inadequate concern for privacy and other social variables.

We thank UN Women and our partners for encouraging this strategic focus and will continue to do our part to remove barriers to the advancement of women and girls in Barbados.

Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland