The cancer care space is often plagued by disparities between men and women. As a woman working in a male-dominated field like public health, these disparities can be particularly pronounced when trying to balance professional responsibilities with personal duties. Cathy Bradley, PhD, who is the dean and professor at Colorado School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, has experienced these discrepancies firsthand. She shared her struggles with balancing caregiving for her children and parents while focusing on her demanding career.
Lindsay M. Sabik, PhD, an associate professor and Vice Chair for Research in Health Policy Management at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, also acknowledges the challenges that come with juggling professional and personal tasks in a society that often expects women to take on more domestic work. Both women emphasize the impact that starting families and managing personal obligations have had on their lives and careers.
Despite the slow progress in acknowledging and addressing these challenges in academia, Bradley and Sabik stress the importance of having open conversations about these issues to find ways to prioritize tasks and avoid feeling overwhelmed. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more attention to these topics by shedding light on the disproportionate share of domestic work handled by women. By sharing their experiences, these women hope to raise awareness about the disparities faced by women in oncology and public health fields.
