‘There is more to do’: Pioneering women in medicine urge others to help break down gender barriers
Two inspirational women in medicine, who have both received honours from the Queen for their work, are encouraging other females to follow their dreams as part of International Women's Day.
Professor Farah Bhatti is the first female consultant cardiac surgeon in Wales and she explained that "there is more to do" in order to break down barriers that still exist for women in her field.
Professor Bhatti, who works at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, told ITV Wales that things have improved but there are still not enough females in senior medical roles.
Professor Alka Surajprakash Ahuja, a child psychiatrist, agreed that women do face challenges in their careers but that should not hold them back from achieving anything they set their mind to.
Professor Bhatti always knew she wanted to work in medicine. Her parents emigrated from Pakistan to the UK in the 1960s but her father suffered ill-health.
When she was a teenager, Professor Bhatti's father passed away but it was that sad event that inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.
She said: "I think because he was always unwell when we where little, that's where the want for being a doctor came from."
After graduating from both Oxford University and Cambridge University, Professor Bhatti found her way into her dream career and became the first British woman of Pakistani heritage to become a consultant cardiac surgeon in the UK.
She now hopes to encourage other women into senior roles in medicine. The doctor recognised that while female representation in her field has improved, there is still some way to go.
"Thirty years ago, when I was embarking as a medical student, only 3% of the surgical consultant workforce were women," she explained.
"We're now up to the heady heights of 13% so you could say that's a great 400% increase but really only 13% of the people who are consultant surgeons are women.
"It doesn't sit quite right with me so there is more to do"
Another woman who has been acknowledged for contributions to her area of medicine is Professor Alka Surajprakash Ahuja.
She headed up the project to get video consulting widely used in the Welsh NHS, a task that was ramped up in speed because of the pandemic.
This enabled people to access healthcare and visit a GP from the safety of their own home.
She too hopes to break down barriers that may prevent some women from aiming for higher positions in medicine.
Professor Ahuja said there are times, as a woman, that "you could do with some more support". She added that she has had "some fantastic mentors" and her advice to others is not to give up on their aspirations.
"I would say believe in your dreams," she said.
"There will be challenges...but if you are determined you can achieve, if you put your mind to it."