Turning Leadership into Lasting Change: Three Women Expanding Access to Care

Women play an essential role in delivering surgical and comprehensive cleft care, supporting patients and families across a range of specialties. Yet, while women make up approximately 70% of the formal health workforce, they hold only about 25% of health care leadership positions.

Limited access to mentorship, leadership development and career advancement opportunities can make it harder for women to move into leadership roles. Addressing these barriers is important not only for women’s professional growth, but also for strengthening the health systems that communities rely on.

Through its Women in Medicine (WIM) initiative, Operation Smile works to address gender inequities in health care and expand opportunities for women through operative training, leadership development, advocacy and research. The Women in Medicine Leadership Fellowship is part of this broader effort, supporting early- to mid-career women health professionals in low- and middle-income countries as they develop the skills, knowledge and professional networks to advance into leadership roles and promote gender equality within their health systems.

Building Leadership That Extends Beyond the Individual

Co-designed with women health professionals, the Women in Medicine Leadership Fellowship supports early- to mid-career women in low- and middle-income countries as they develop their leadership skills and prepare for greater leadership responsibilities. The part-time program allows fellows to continue their patient care and other professional work while taking part in mentorship, expert-led learning and peer exchange. Through this combination of practical training and support, participants build the knowledge, skills and professional networks to navigate workplace challenges, advance their careers and promote gender equality within their health systems.

“Investing in women’s development as leaders helps them grow as individuals, and it also strengthens their entire systems by closing that leadership gap,” shares Patty Silva, director of global programs at Operation Smile.

The Fellowship’s initial cohorts in Peru and Ethiopia brought together 28 fellows and 14 mentors, with more than 440 hours of mentorship. Through expert-led sessions on Operation Smile Academy, peer learning and in-person gatherings, participants strengthened their leadership, communication and decision-making skills while building professional networks and exploring ways to address workplace challenges and advance gender equity in health care.

Since these initial cohorts, the Fellowship has expanded to all of the low- and middle-income countries Operation Smile delivers programs in, with 2026 fellows representing 17 countries across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia and applicants from 21 countries currently being considered for the 2027 cohort.

“We’re able to work with women as they grow in their skill and confidence, design and lead a wide diversity of locally-driven projects from hospital-level quality improvement projects to community-based health trainings to initiatives to help more girls and women enter the health sector, and reach new personal and professional milestones like finishing a thesis, receiving their first grant funding, or achieving promotions at work.” Patty adds.

For women health professionals, leadership development can open new possibilities for how they contribute to their fields and communities. The experiences of three Women in Medicine Leadership Fellowship participants show how that growth can shape both their careers and the work they do to support others.

Expanding Opportunities for the Next Generation

In biomedical engineering, where women remain underrepresented, Fatimzahra Tghos is helping create opportunities for other women to develop their skills and advance in the field.

A volunteer biomedical engineer with Operation Smile in Morocco, Fatimzahra joined the organization in 2022. In 2024, she became the first female certified Biomedical Engineer in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region within Operation Smile, qualifying her to independently lead biomedical operations on international programs.

After participating in a Women in Medicine surgical program in Egypt in 2024, she returned to the program in Casablanca the following year as a mentor to five female biomedical engineers, extending the support she had received to other women developing their careers.

Reflecting on the fellowship’s influence on her approach to leadership, Fatimzahra shared: “Participating in the Women in Medicine Fellowship helped me think beyond traditional approaches, strengthen my leadership skills, and transform my passion into a more structured initiative with greater social impact.”

Her commitment to creating opportunities extends beyond her work in health care. Through social media, Fatimzahra reaches thousands of young people across Morocco with information about higher education, scholarships, international exchange and career development. She is also developing a youth-focused project to make educational information more accessible, particularly for young women and students from underserved communities.

By mentoring other biomedical engineers and helping young people access educational opportunities, Fatimzahra is extending the impact of her work beyond her own professional development.

Reimagining the Cleft Care Journey

For patients and families navigating cleft care, support needs can extend well beyond surgery. Indiana Michelle Castro Esmeralda, a registered nurse and speech-language pathologist in the Philippines, is exploring ways to make that journey more connected and accessible.

As Assistant Unit Head of the Speech Team and a speech-language pathology educator with Operation Smile, Indiana works with multidisciplinary teams serving underserved communities through surgical programs, speech camps, tele-practice and capacity building initiatives.

Through the Fellowship, she is developing the Cleft Journey Companion Program, which brings together digital tools, educational resources, peer mentorship and community engagement to walk alongside patients and families before, during and after their cleft care journey. The initiative aims to make culturally and age-appropriate information and support more accessible throughout the process.

For Indiana, this reflects the need to look beyond individual treatments and consider the broader experience of patients and families: “I am passionate about reimagining healthcare beyond episodic treatment. Women leaders are uniquely positioned to drive this change through empathy, collaboration, and innovation.”

Surgery can be a life-changing step, but comprehensive cleft care may also include speech therapy, dental care, nutrition support and psychosocial services as children grow. Through her project, Indiana is exploring ways to help connect families with information and support throughout their care journey.

Using Research and Education to Strengthen Care

Understanding what patients and families need is an important part of improving comprehensive cleft care. In Colombia, Leidy Johanna Mendoza Briceño brings this focus to her work with Operation Smile Colombia, supporting patients with cleft conditions and their families.

A psychologist with a master’s degree in health and disability psychology, Leidy directs patient and family care and facilitates education and knowledge-sharing for new volunteers.

Her Women in Medicine Leadership Fellowship project builds on this experience through qualitative research exploring the experiences, needs and perspectives of families of patients with cleft lip and palate. By better understanding families’ experiences with comprehensive treatment, Leidy hopes to identify opportunities to strengthen the support provided by health professionals and volunteers.

Reflecting on her experience in the Fellowship, Leidy shared “It has allowed me to develop new personal and professional skills, and in turn, has inspired me to dream about my career growth. During these months, I have met courageous, capable women eager to make an impact in different contexts through leadership and knowledge.”

By bringing families’ experiences into the conversation, Leidy’s research can help health professionals and volunteers better understand their needs and identify opportunities to make support more responsive. Alongside her work training new volunteers, her project reflects how research and knowledge-sharing can contribute to more comprehensive care.

From Individual Growth to Lasting Impact

Fatimzahra, Indiana and Leidy work in different specialties and health care settings, but their experiences reflect a shared commitment to addressing community needs and improving care for patients and families. Through mentorship, new approaches to patient support, research and education, each is applying her expertise to challenges that extend beyond her individual role.

Their experiences reflect the broader purpose of Operation Smile’s Women in Medicine initiative: supporting women health professionals as they advance their careers and contribute to stronger local health systems. By investing in women already serving their communities, the Fellowship helps build a health workforce better equipped to respond to local needs and expand access to comprehensive care.