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Volunteer Story Global

Women Empowering Women

Volunteer Story Global

Women Empowering Women

During the 2022 Women in Medicine program in Marrakech, Morocco, Dr. Wafaa Mradmi leads a surgical simulation for cleft surgery residents like local Moroccan resident Mouna Lazrak. Photo: Mariam Moummade.

Addressing the gender equity gap means recognizing and prioritizing the specific needs of the motivated health care professionals who can help close it.   

In Morocco, Peru, Malawi and the Philippines, all-women volunteer teams conducted our Women in Medicine surgical programs throughout 2022. This Operation Smile signature initiative aims to elevate and empower women in the health care workforce through education, mentorship and scholarship opportunities.

Operation Smile Global Surgery Fellow Atenas Bustamante speaks with fellow female volunteer during the 2022 Women in Medicine surgical program in Lima, Peru. Photo: Manuela Emmer.

“When you’re growing up, you want to see leaders who look like you. In those moments that you’re struggling and trying to look for inspiration, and you see somebody that is like you, making it and succeeding, that’s what will push you to keep going forward,” said Atenas Bustamante, Operation Smile Global Surgery Fellow. “That’s why these Women in Medicine surgical programs are exciting and motivating. Definitely empowers me to keep going, do more and be better.”

Women representing 34 countries across 16 different specialties delivered 280 transformative surgeries to children affected by cleft conditions.

Volunteer post-anesthesia care unit nurse Carola Noren of Sweden checks on a patient following their cleft surgery during Operation Smile’s 2022 women-led surgical program in the Philippines. Photo: Rohanna Mertens.

“We know right now 70% of the workforce in medicine is women,” said Operation Smile co-founder and president Kathy Magee. “But yet, they only have 25% of the senior leadership. So how do we balance that out a little bit?” 

Through the Women in Medicine initiative, Operation Smile provides education and training pathways for women to become empowered to be global leaders in health care. During each women-led program, a leadership and education day took place, enabling local and international volunteers to participate in specialty trainings with mentors.

Working side by side, hundreds of volunteers took part in 17 trainings, including surgical simulation, speech language pathology, global surgery, oral health and more.

“I've had a lot of experience of mentoring residents. When you train them, it’s not just giving them the medical knowledge, but also providing them with the ability to be compassionate,” said Dr. Wafaa Mradmi of Morocco. “You have to have some spirit, soul and heart to be with these patients.”

Alongside other certified female medical professionals, cleft surgeon Dr. Wafaa Mradmi of Morocco and dentist Dr. Vilma Arteaga of Guatemala led the interactive surgical simulations and dental workshops.
Alongside other certified female medical professionals, cleft surgeon Dr. Wafaa Mradmi of Morocco and dentist Dr. Vilma Arteaga of Guatemala led the interactive surgical simulations and dental workshops. Photo: Mariam Moummade.
During the women-led program in Peru, speech pathologist Midori Hanayama holds an education workshop.
During the women-led program in Peru, speech pathologist Midori Hanayama held an education workshop. Photo: Manuela Emmer.
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Alongside other certified female medical professionals, cleft surgeon Dr. Wafaa Mradmi of Morocco and dentist Dr. Vilma Arteaga of Guatemala led the interactive surgical simulations and dental workshops. Photo: Mariam Moummade.
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During the women-led program in Peru, speech pathologist Midori Hanayama held an education workshop. Photo: Manuela Emmer.
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Research and thought leadership were factors implemented during these programs to help emphasize the importance of women in global health. In addition to impacting our volunteers, the research conducted also revealed how the women-led programs created lasting impacts on the families we serve. 

When asked about their experience, 85 to 98% of caregivers reported that they left the programs feeling more confident in women providing care for their children. They also said the main reasons they trusted women to care for their children was the patience and understanding of our volunteers.

“In my home area, I had a nurse,” said volunteer nurse Florence Mangula of Kenya. “I loved the way she treated me. She used to greet me with a lot of love. She had a lot of empathy. That inspired me to say that I wanted to be a nurse like her.”

Volunteer nurse Florence Mangula of Kenya evaluates David and his mom, Ireen, following his surgery during the 2022 Women in Medicine program in Lilongwe, Malawi. Photo: Manuela Emmer.

“We had women on those programs from all over the world. It shows that women want to lead, but maybe don’t seek those opportunities out as often,” said Allyn Auslander, Operation Smile Associate Vice President of Research. “That they want mentorship, that they feel that their opportunities are growing, but they’re still at a disadvantage. It creates a camaraderie of this universal experience being a woman in medicine, regardless of where you’re from.”

Operation Smile’s commitment to achieving gender equity in health care will span beyond the 2022 Women in Medicine programs into the next decade.

Volunteer nurse Dina Kouhous carries a patient back to their parents following their successful cleft surgery. Photo: Mariam Moummade.

Our promise of improving health and dignity during the COVID-19 pandemic endures. Once again, we’re providing surgery and in-person care while taking stringent measures to keep families safe. Hope is on the horizon. And we remain focused on what cleft care makes possible for children, helping them to better breathe, eat, speak and live with confidence.

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It takes as little as $240 and as few as 45 minutes to provide life-changing surgery and a bright, beautiful new smile to a waiting child.