The Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH) has awarded Melanie Sion, MD, a $10,000 Global Health Spark Award to support the development of an international professional development initiative for women surgeons practicing across Africa. Sion, assistant professor in the Division of General Surgery, Trauma & Surgical Critical Care at Yale School of Medicine, received the award for her proposal, “Igniting A Professional Development Program for African Women Surgeons.”
Endorsed by the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), Women in Surgery-Africa (WiSA), and the Pan African Association of Women Surgeons (PAWAS), the six-month program will bring together a cohort of African women surgeons for virtual workshops, coaching, and peer networking focused on leadership, communication, mentorship, wellness, and career development.
Built on a positive psychology framework, the curriculum addresses persistent barriers facing women surgeons across Africa, including discrimination, burnout, sexual harassment, and limited access to leadership opportunities. Research shows many women surgical trainees in Africa complete training without ever working alongside a woman surgeon, contributing to ongoing gaps in mentorship and representation.
“I hope this program creates a framework that future programs across Africa can build upon,” Sion says. “My goal is to help spark sustainable networks of mentorship and leadership that drive meaningful change in the gender-based barriers facing African women surgeons.”
YIGH Spark Awards provide seed funding to catalyze early-stage global health initiatives.