WONCA Working Party: Women & Family Medicine

Women & Family Medicine

The WONCA Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM) was established at the 16th International Conference of WONCA in Durban, in 2001. The Working Party takes a leadership role in advocating for the concerns raised by women doctors and women’s health in family medicine/general practice. The Working Party was consolidated at the 17th WONCA World conference, in Orlando, in 2004. It has had successful preconference events at many meetings since, including the 18th WONCA World conference in Singapore, 2007, regional meetings, and at the WONCA World conference, in Cancun, in May 2010. WWPWFM has workshops and events at WONCA regional meetings, and aims to have a policy development working meeting in between each triennial WONCA World conference.

WWPWFM is a policy initiator in gender equity. The Hamilton Equity Recommendations (HER statement) and 10 steps to gender equity, developed at the mid triennial meeting held in Hamilton Canada, in 2006, were adopted by the WONCA World Council, in Singapore in 2007. Important by-laws changes, and the establishment of the WONCA Organisational Equity Committee, were adopted by the WONCA World Council, in Cancun in 2010.

Membership is open to all interested family doctors. Interested doctors are invited to contact your regional lead and attend the WWPWFM workshops at regional WONCA meetings (or click the link below).

Join our working party

Convenor / Chair

Dr Elizabeth Reji

Email Chair

Dr Elizabeth Reji is a Family Physician and the Chair: WONCA Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM). She has been a member of this group since 2009 and was the Lead: Africa region WWPWFM (2018-2021) and has mentored many African women into leadership. She represents the WONCA women’s party in the WONCA Organisation Equity Committee and ensures that there is gender equity in WONCA policies and conferences. She represents Africa on the WONCA Finance committee, as the treasurer of WONCA Africa region since 2018, and monitors the financial aspect of the WONCA Africa region. She has been on the WONCA Africa Executive Committee for the past 10 years. She is also a member of the WONCA Educational Committee, ensuring that the Family Medicine education follows a standardized policy throughout the globe.

She is an Indian by origin but have pursued her medical career in South Africa since 1996. After graduating from India and worked in rural parts of India for 3 years, decided to continue her practice in Africa. She has worked only in the public health sector within the rural and semi-urban areas. She has a master’s degree in Family Medicine (Pretoria University), Fellowship from the College of Family Medicine, South Africa & Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science Education (Witwatersrand University). She is a golden Key awardee and have completed some courses in project management, women leadership, financial management and essentials of MBA. She has been a Clinical Head of Department: Family Medicine, she works as an administrator, manager, educator, clinician, and researcher. She has supervised registrars and students as part of her teaching field. She is also passionate about women’s health and community-oriented family practice. Determination, dedication, and perseverance has led to her achievements, despite many difficulties in life. God is her guidance.

Co-Convenor or other office bearers

Executive Members

Executive

Chair

Dr Elizabeth Reji

Past Chairs

Dr Noemi Mimi Doohan (USA)
Dr Aileen Espina (Philippines)
Dr Kate Anteyi (Nigeria)
Dr Amanda Barnard (Australia)
Prof Amanda Howe (UK)

Executive/Regional leads

Africa: Dr Ajike Oladoyin
Asia Pacific: Dr Tin Myo
Caribean Islands: Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler and Dr Paula Henry
East Mediterranean: Dr Suha Hamshari
Europe: Dr Victoria Tkachenko
North America: Dr Patience Ekperi
South Asia: Dr Hina Jawaid
South Hemisphere- Asia Pacific: Dr Samantha Murton

Country Leads

Afghanistan -Suha Hamshari
Bangladesh - Paramita Karim
Bhutan - Kinley Bhutti
Botswana - Yaone Bogatu
India - Vidhya Raghavendran
Kenya - Joy Mugambi
Malawi - Nitta Nayeja
N. America - Kehinde Eniola
Nepal - Rajani
Nigeria - Seun Olusola
Pakistan - Hina Jawaid
Portugal - Nina Monteiro
Sierra Leone - Aramide Oteju
Spain - Elena Klusova
Spain - Raquel Gomez Bravo
Sri Lanka - Dilini Ilapperuma Baranage
Turkey - Nil Tekin

Young Doctors leads

Africa: Jessie Mbamba
South Asia: Gunjan Jhi

Vision and Mission of WONCA Working Party on Women & Family Medicine

Vision: To promote the role of women family doctors working in Wonca to highlight their special contributions and reduce the barriers facing them, thereby enabling them to reach their full potential and enhance the contributions of family physicians/GPs around the world to clinical care, women’s health, education, research and leadership in family medicine.

Objectives of the WONCA Working Party on Women & Family Medicine

To identify key issues of r women doctors working in family medicine in all Wonca member countries, including developed and developing countries, and rural and remote areas, and to seek solutions to common problems.
To review Wonca polices and procedures on representation, programs, training, research, management, leadership and support structure, an ensure that these polices are equitably, transparently and effectively implemented
To provide opportunities for international exchange of knowledge and expertise on women and family medicine at regional and international Wonca meetings, and through electronic means such as the WWPWFM listserv and website.
To reduce linguistic, cultural and economic barriers to women family physicians/GPs participating in Wonca initiatives
To evaluate the effectiveness of WWPWFM

News

WFDD2023: Message from the Working Party for Women and Family Medicine

Our WP focuses on the health of women and their particular spectrum of risks and needs; and also on how to maximise the important contribution of women family doctors worldwide.

WWPWFM: Spreading the Wings to the WONCA Regions

Dr Elizabeth Reji, Chair of the Wonca Working Party on Women and Family Medicine shares the group vision and current objectives in all the WONCA regions

WWPWFM: Embrace Equity

Every year on the 8th of March, International women's day is celebrated to uplift, encourage, and influence women across the globe to rise and be the best versions of themselves within every field including social, political, cultural, economic and scientific activities.

WONCA joins16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs through International Human Rights Day on 10 December

WP on Women & Family Medicine Africa Hosts Webinar to Celebrate WFDD2022

The WONCA Working Party for Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM) Africa Region – referred to here as WWPWFMA – has supported and advocated for women family physicians in Africa since 2009.

Publications & Documents

Publications

LEAD statement 2009
Gender Equity Standards for WONCA Scientific Meetings 2009
Monograph 2008
Cheryl Levitt C, Candib L, Lent B, Howard M. 2008 Women Physicians and Family Medicine Monograph/Literature Review
Hamilton Equity Recommendations (HER) statement 2006: English
Recomedaciones de equidad de Hamilton declaracion HER: Español
10 Steps to Gender Equity and Health 2006

Reports

WONCA News report, Feb 2012

WONCA News report, April 2011

Activities

WWPWFM has a workplan which is set at the preconference at each WONCA World meeting, and reviewed and updated at the mid triennial meeting. The WWPWFM supports for the next biennium 2016-2018 include both internal and external activities with regional and national focus on the needs of women; improving women’s health at primary care level while strengthening women family doctors’ interest and engagement at WONCA regions.