International Women's Day is celebrated every year on 8 March in honour of women's contributions to society, economy, culture, and politics. It is also an occasion to consider the steps taken towards achieving gender equality in all spheres of life and that there is still work to be done to address the gender gap.
This year’s theme is “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
On International Women’s Day, Louise Kemp, Imaging Workforce Lead for the Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network shares her thoughts.
Diagnostic radiographers are healthcare professionals who use technology to produce medical images which help to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. Radiography is a predominantly female profession; according to the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) (2023) 69% are female and 44% of all diagnostic radiographers are from an ethnic minority background. Many radiographers work in specialties which support women's health, such as breast screening and obstetric ultrasound, and as part of safeguarding all service users we have a role to play in identifying the signs of abuse, neglect and harm, including those disproportionately affecting women.
I am fortunate to have worked with many exceptional women in my career, who have shaped me as a person and as a leader; they have mentored, coached and empowered me to grow personally and professionally and pursue my ambitions. They have done this by making me feel valued and through a genuine wish to lift others. In turn I want to support the next generation of aspiring women in imaging and radiography to feel confident to innovate and succeed, and to know they can make a difference to other women and girls - both service users and colleagues - through their role in healthcare.
In my current role I am lucky to be able to spend time talking to school students across Greater Manchester to encourage them to join the NHS as a diagnostic radiographer, and I have met many young women passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and working with technology. I am excited for this next progressive and inclusive generation to join the radiography workforce and to see where their leadership takes this amazing profession.