Chris Hani Baragwanath CEO calls for more women in leadership
Dr Nthabiseng Makgana reflects on women’s leadership and the importance of opening doors for the next generation of women in healthcare and beyond.
As Women’s Month draws to a close, Soweto Urban spoke to the CEO of Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Dr Nthabiseng Makgana, about what it means to be a woman in leadership and make an impact on the broader community.
Makgana said Women’s Month was more than a celebration, as it allowed people to honour the extraordinary contribution women have made to South Africa.
“As a woman leading Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, I am very conscious that representation matters,” she said. “When a young woman sees another woman occupying a position of significant responsibility, it expands her understanding of what is possible, but representation alone is not enough.
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We must use the spaces we occupy to create opportunities for others and to leave institutions stronger than we found them.”
She added that although work remained to ensure women felt valued, supported and empowered in the workplace, women were indispensable to the functioning of the healthcare system and communities.
Across the hospital and the broader health sector, women serve as doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, researchers and executives, showing they are helping shape its future.
“I am conscious that I am not occupying this position only for myself. Every generation of women stands on the courage and sacrifices of women who came before us. They challenged systems, opened doors and demonstrated that leadership has no gender.
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“Our responsibility is now to ensure that the doors we walked through remain open for those coming behind us. For me, success will not only be measured by what I achieve during my tenure, but also by how many capable leaders I help develop along the way,” she said.
As the month closes, Makgana encouraged women never to shrink themselves to make other people comfortable with their leadership, emphasizing the importance of reaching back and opening doors for future generations.
