Faculty Collaboration Database

The IWill MCW Campaign: Individual Actions to Advance Gender Equity. Acad Med 2021 Jun 01;96(6):817-821

Date

02/28/2021

Pubmed ID

33637663

DOI

10.1097/ACM.0000000000004016

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85107012613 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   6 Citations

Abstract

Advancing equity for women remains an urgent and complex problem at academic health centers. Attempts to mitigate gender gaps have ranged widely and have been both slow to occur and limited in effect. Recognizing the limitations of previously attempted solutions and fueled by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) stepped outside known approaches (e.g., women's leadership plans and programming) to design and implement a strategic campaign that promotes gender equity through fostering change in systems and social norms. This campaign, IWill MCW (launched in 2019), emphasizes the power of individual responsibility for positive change. The IWill MCW campaign employs a 2-pronged approach. The first is the creation of personal call-to-action public pledges focused on 5 aspects of gender equity, along with the provision of supportive resources to reinforce positive change. The second is the use of those pledges to raise awareness of gender inequity in academic medicine by fostering meaningful dialogue meant to alter mental models of equity, relationships, and power dynamics. In the initial 6-week phase of the IWill MCW campaign, leaders reached out to all MCW faculty (2,002), staff (4,522), and learners (1,483) at multiple campuses. This outreach resulted in nearly 1,400 pledges, including 30% (n = 420) from men. The effort also engaged over 90% (n = 101) of members of MCW senior leadership teams. The feedback from the initial campaign has been positive. Lessons learned include realizing the importance of public pledges, engaging male allies, and following up. The authors suggest that the IWill MCW campaign provides a model for academic health centers to advance gender equity and shape an environment in which people of all genders can thrive.

Author List

Maurana CA, Raymond JR Sr, Kerschner JE, Ellinas EH

Authors

Elizabeth H. Ellinas MD Associate Dean, Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Cheryl A. Maurana PhD SVP Str Acad Ptnrshp, Dir, Prof in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin
John R. Raymond MD President, CEO, Professor in the President department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Academic Medical Centers
Female
Humans
Leadership
Male
Physicians, Women
Schools, Medical
Sexism
Social Responsibility
Wisconsin