Volume 11 Issues 6 June, 2021
This being the last edition of the outgoing MINDS editorial team, it was apt to dedicate it to the celebration of women! Each of the articles have been contributed by women in the psychiatry arena and allied branches. In a way, this is an appreciation to all the wonderful people, men above all, self-assured and conspicuous behind the success of all their women. Cheers!
In the world of psychiatry, it is both a challenge and in some ways an opportunity for women psychiatrists to make their mark. Women psychiatrists in India, small though the number may be, have made a fair deal of contribution in various aspects of psychiatric care, education and research.
It has been heartening to see more and more young women doctors specialize in psychiatry. My heart has actually skipped a beat, when, on a couple of occasions in recent years, there has been an equal and even reversed ratio of young women and men admitted to the MD Psychiatry course at NIMHANS. More women taking up psychiatry
appears to be a global trend, with about 40-45% of resident trainees in high income countries being women. However, in India, overall, it appears that only about one in five to ten residents are women, and sparse studies suggest that in higher positions, there are fewer women represented. This is particularly true of professional bodies and policy.
What are some of the particular challenges for women? While the commonly ascribed reasons are family and children, these responsibilities being still largely gender-driven in most societies, I will never forget the back-handed compliment from a colleague saying, “You presented like a man”. Sometimes, gender-based expectations can work as a disadvantage and it can become a bit of an effort to emphasize that success at work is competency-based and not gender-determined. However, gender can provide its own advantages in terms of empathy, multi-tasking and the ability to see alternative perspectives. Perhaps a balance of the Yin and Yang is something for all psychiatrists to aspire for.
While there may be relatively fewer women in leadership positions, to me, it is heartening to see more and more women not just in the clinical space, but also in other spheres of influence, including public engagement in mental health. Influencing change and improving lives is finally what matters and my tribute to all the women psychiatrists engaged thus.
Any tribute to women psychiatrists in India would be incomplete without a eulogy to Dr Sarada Menon, the first woman psychiatrist of independent India. A graduate of the Madras Medical College and NIMHANS, she was one among the first batch of psychiatry students at the All India Institute of Mental Health (presently NIMHANS). Her contributions to psychiatry are immense. They include being the first woman super intendent of the IMH, Kilapuk; initiation of outpatient services and a variety of special clinics at the IMH; expanding training facilities; starting an industrial therapy center, being the founder of SCARF, among many other achievements. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the Avvaiyar Award, the state Best Doctor Award among the many accolades. But what really stands out for me is that to date, close to becoming a centenarian, she continues to provide patient consultation as a caring and compassionate psychiatrist, participates in online programs and continues to mentor subsequent generations of psychiatrists with the same passion and enthusiasm. She continues to be a great inspiration to all psychiatrists, particularly women psychiatrists.
There are many others from whom there are very valuable lessons to learn…but that must wait for another day!
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