2026-10-14T11:03:15Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34025865 2026-09-29T17:26:12Z category_21 category_64 category_106 portal_5 item_type_1 month_year_09_2026

<p>Tanzanian health system.</p> Henry Mollel (4402522) Sara Dada (8117609) Anosisye Kesale (19238581) Brynne Gilmore (3576191) Eilish McAuliffe (392892) Magreth Thadei Mwakilasa (11827638) Ntuli Kapologwe (3968351) Ziada Sellah (25138221) Agnes Mpinga (25138224) Biotechnology Cancer Science Policy yet remain underrepresented various supportive policies nearing parity overall including targeted mentorship equitable promotion practices done using excel despite national commitments country &# 8217 transformative leadership strategies leadership management teams health workforce globally 120 leadership positions 9 %, followed less powerful roles health sector leadership towards gender parity equitable gender distributions women represent 29 tanzania &# 8217 analysis examined 9 leadership roles health system gender representation gender equality study presents similarly evident results show presence drops ongoing need medical officers mainland tanzania highest proportion higher levels government ministry findings reflect facility type descriptive statistics chmts ), 5 %, <div><p>Women constitute the majority of the health workforce globally and in Tanzania, yet remain underrepresented in leadership roles, particularly at higher levels. Despite national commitments to gender equality and various supportive policies, analysis of gender representation in health sector leadership in Tanzania is limited. This study presents the analysis of gender representation in leadership across three healthcare levels of Tanzania’s health system, Regional Health Management Teams (RHMTs), Council Health Management Teams (CHMTs), and Health Facility Management Teams (HFMTs). This study used secondary data collected by a government ministry in 2022 from 20 out of 26 regions of mainland Tanzania, representing over two-thirds of the country’s regions. The analysis examined 9,120 leadership positions. Descriptive statistics were done using Excel. Results show that while gender representation is nearing parity overall for less powerful roles, notable disparities remain based on role and level of seniority. The highest proportion of women is found in HFMTs at 48.9%, followed by a decline at the CHMTs level to 41.5%, and further to 39.5% in the RHMTs. This trend is similarly evident in leadership roles such as Medical Officers In-Charge, where women represent 29.8% at the HFMT level, but their presence drops to 17.6% among District Medical Officers and just 11.1% among Regional Medical Officers. Gender representation also varies geographically and by facility type, with lower-level facilities generally showing more equitable gender distributions. The findings reflect the ongoing need for gender-transformative leadership strategies, including targeted mentorship, equitable promotion practices, and inclusive workplace cultures.</p></div> 2026-09-29T17:26:08Z Image Figure 10.1371/journal.pgph.0006813.g001 https://figshare.com/articles/figure/_p_Tanzanian_health_system_p_/34025865 CC BY 4.0