IN-SIGHT: An International Women’s Day 2025 Retrospective

We interrupt your Saturday program to highlight International Women’s Day 2025 in Delhi. Although having taken place on 8th March – a month before the launch of Art of Sevā – IWD remains such an important celebration given the efforts of the people around me to change the lives of women.

In an earlier post, we touched on the training opportunities offered by Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital which provide pathways not only into healthcare, but administration and management. We have also added, to the ABOUT page, a section on Naveena’s massive contribution to the British Association of Gynaecological Pathology (BAGP) during a career dedicated to researching and treating women’s cancers.

In the UK, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) released a report on Women’s reproductive health conditions in December 2024, calling for the Government to address a persistent lack of focus on women’s health in the country. Reasons for the gap in health equality between genders included findings of medical misogyny, lack of awareness and solemnity surrounding conditions such as endometriosis, and the fact that obstetrics & gynaecology are not currently a mandatory rotation in healthcare professional training. The Government responded to acknowledge the issues raised by the WEC on 5th March 2025, a few days before IWD, a time when I was deep into This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay which I thoroughly recommend.

Around Delhi, IWD was marked with by the 20th edition of the Asian Women’s Film Festival spanning three days at the India International Centre. India is promoting a narrative of moving from women’s development to women-led development. Women’s empowerment is being addressed through the launch of several schemes in; education, health & nutrition, economic & digital empowerment, and safety & protection. In the city, women’s events take over business centres, followed by lively events in M-Block Market, Chandni Chowk, Gurugram and Hauz Khas.

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Perspective on International Women’s Day

By Dr Umang Mathur, Consultant and CEO at Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital

“My friend, an artist, accompanied me to the Operating Room. As I showcased my craft through surgery, he was captivated by something else — the rhythm of my team. ‘𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺,’ he observed. ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮, 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺.’

His words shifted my perspective. As surgeons, we often take pride in our precision, our skill, our artistry. But does the ego that drives us also blind us to the brilliance of those who support us? The scrub nurses, technicians and housekeeping staff — our 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍-𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂 — are the ones who transform the Operation Room into the 𝒪𝓅𝓮𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓸𝓃 𝒯𝒽𝓮𝒶𝓉𝓇𝓮, where true magic happens.

On this International 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚, I take a moment to recognize and appreciate the women who keep us on track, who elevate our work, and who remind us that surgery, like life, is best when performed as a symphony.”

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From SCEH’s socials:

“At SCEH, inclusion isn’t just a commitment – it’s the way we work. And since we are celebrating International Women’s Day we would like to spotlight women at SCEH – from rural eye screeners to senior leadership, women lead with impact at every level.

• 70% 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 across leadership, management, and medical care comprises women.

• 2 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧+ 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 conducted by our Aadya screeners, ensuring women in vulnerable communities get the care they deserve.

• 55% 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 are women, thanks to our 80 Primary Care Clinics, making eye care accessible closer to home.

But beyond numbers, what truly makes SCEH special is our culture — a safe, empowering, and equitable workplace where women thrive. Whether it’s a young rural health worker conducting screenings or a senior medical expert leading transformative projects, women at SCEH are fighting blindness in India. A big shout out to our leadership team to walk the talk and make SCEH an Equal and Equitable workplace.”