Women Leadership Challenges: Evidence from Healthcare Sector

The majority of the workforce in the healthcare industry is women, but still, a small percentage of them hold leadership positions in the industry. This study aimed to discover the challenges women in the healthcare industry go through that prevent them from obtaining successful leadership positions. A descriptive design was used to carry out the study. The study’s results revealed that the main challenges women professionals in the healthcare field in Saudi Arabia relate mostly to work-life balance, working conditions, career advancement, and distributive justice, as the majority indicated that they experience different levels of hurt when it comes to the four areas. The study also revealed that although not many, some of the women still encounter challenges when it comes to social support and the existence of role models. Few indicated they experienced difficulties when it came to family support. The results of this study are significant to healthcare organizations and policymakers as they provide insights on areas they still need to work on so as to create policies that can promote women’s equality and empower them.