Celebrating our female physicians on International Women's Day

International Women's Day is a global observance celebrated annually on March 8th to recognise women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements.

It also serves as a call to action for accelerating gender equality. International Women's Day has been celebrated for well over a century, with the first gathering held in 1911.

The theme for International Women's Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion. We forge a better world when we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion. And when women are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. Collectively, let's forge a more inclusive world for women.

International Women's Day is a day for celebrating and empowering women. Last year, we celebrated some inspirational female physicians working tirelessly to make the world a better place. We feel lucky to be able to work with them, so we wanted to share this article again.

Dr Amira Mahboub

Dr Amira Mahboub is an experienced physician who has worked in various roles across several countries, including Egypt, UAE, and the UK, before returning to her hometown of Melbourne. She has held three full-time positions in Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, and Melbourne, gaining valuable experience before taking up locum roles to care for her son, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

"It has been a whirlwind of roles, some lovely and some not so lovely. I love my job. I love my patients, and I love the wide array of junior doctors I get to work with. I don’t love the politics and bureaucracy. I hate unfairness and bullies and racism and I am not afraid to speak out which is not looked upon with favour, unfortunately.

I advise junior doctors to be proud of how far they’ve come. Read and ask questions, do not hesitate to call your consultants, and ensure your documentation is always as good as possible. I hope you always love your jobs and thrive."

Dr Daniela Todaro

Dr Daniela Todaro is a highly dedicated medical professional passionate about women's and children's health.

For the past three years, she has been treating homeless women to allow them free access to healthcare in a nonjudgemental and gender-equitable environment ( at the Living Room Primary Health Service, Melbourne).

She is well-equipped to provide the highest personalised care to every patient with a degree from the Melbourne University School of Medicine and a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Pursuing her passion for women's health has led her to train in a range of areas, including PAP smears and contraception. She is also an experienced Antenatal Care Practitioner, providing care and support for expectant mothers across all major maternal hospitals. In addition, she is qualified to provide post-natal care and childhood immunisations, making her a sought-after and reliable healthcare provider for the entire family.

"As a GP embracing equity means to me, providing gender equity for women of all backgrounds, and respecting their unique diversity and individual needs. It means collaborating with each woman case by case to together achieve her goals and optimise her mental and physical health in a safe and respectful manner."

Check out Dr Daniela's practice here.

Dr Mya Tun

Dr Mya Tun is an experienced Geriatrician and General Physician who arrived in Australia in 2007. She was born in Myanmar and graduated from the University of Medicine, Mandalay. She worked in Malaysia, and had a brief stint in London when she was offered a position at Mercy Hospital in Tasmania.

She completed specialist training in Melbourne, achieved a fellowship from the “Royal Australasian College of Physicians”, and has since married. She loves serving the Australian community and has worked at tertiary hospitals, including Austin Health, Box Hill Hospital, Eastern Health, and Monash Health.

She also enjoys working in rural and remote areas of Australia. In the last three years, she has been working as a locum Geriatrician in Hervey Bay Hospital, Maryborough Hospital ( Regional QLD), and Albany Hospital ( Regional WA) through Medrecruit Locum Agency.

She is the Secretary of the Myanmar/Australian Medical Association, which is active in providing various support to our countrymen in Myanmar, many of whom are severely underprivileged and currently" living under a vicious military Junta.

In 2016, after owning a GP & Specialist medical centre, she started a niche “startup” practice of Geriatricians servicing an area I saw of real need “Residential Aged Care”.

Over the past five years, her company has grown very successfully to be the largest private provider of its kind in Australia. Her focus is to provide a “no out of pocket” service to better support people in the very vulnerable community of the aged, giving the highest quality of life possible to those who deserve it. Her company also comprises 80% of women from very diverse multicultural backgrounds.

"I am so proud of achieving a life and workplace that includes self-employment, support for women in the workplace, cultural diversity, and no-cost medical services to the very venerable.

#embracingequity embodies my life and business. I have been welcomed to this country, made a citizen, had the privilege of completing my medical training, and am doing my all to repay the community.

International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate us all and continue to highlight that women can do anything and everything, given the opportunity. My advice to my women doctor colleagues is to not fear stepping outside the institutions and go for it with your own practice."

Find out more on Dr Maya Tun's website.

Dr Sophie Jayamaha

Dr Jayamaha is a highly experienced and dedicated specialist in anaesthesia. With over three decades of experience in the field, she further developed her skills in optimising patients’ health before undergoing surgery and rehabilitation after surgery, including pain management.

Dr Jayamaha received her basic medical education in Sri Lanka and migrated to the UK for her postgraduate training. After she completed her Specialist Training in the UK, she worked as a specialist anaesthetist in one of the biggest trauma centres in the UK for seven years before taking a specialist post in Queensland Health.

Dr Jayamaha’s expertise extends beyond the operating room, as she is also a mindfulness practitioner and an internationally board-certified lifestyle medicine physician. She has obtained SCOPE Certification for obesity management from the World Federation of Obesity. Her holistic health optimisation program incorporates evidence-based practices of Lifestyle Medicine, mental wellbeing and coaching to help patients reduce harmful excess body weight and their dependence on medications and other substances while managing chronic pain.

In addition to her medical career, Dr Jayamaha is also a licensed teacher for Heal Your Life, offering online workshops and spiritual counselling to help individuals heal from psychological trauma and reduce stress and anxiety. She is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing the impact of chronic diseases, and her approach to health optimisation bridges the gap between physical and mental wellbeing.

Outside of work, Dr Jayamaha is an avid traveller passionate about visiting diverse locations and experiencing new cultures. She also enjoys landscape photography, painting, crocheting, walking, cooking, and gardening.

In Dr Jayamaha’s words, "I am interested in looking at the big picture of small things in life, and how our everyday choices can have a major impact on our health and the planet. My goal is to help people live well, live long, and find happiness and fulfillment."

Find out more on Dr Jayamaha's website.

Dr Anu Langdana

Dr Anu Langdana is an experienced paediatrician with a diverse career spanning multiple countries. She received her medical degree in 1991 from India before moving to the UK in 1995 to pursue further training in paediatrics and neonatology. She was admitted as a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in Paediatrics in 1997 and completed subspecialty training at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin.

Throughout her training, Dr Langdana expertly balanced the demands of being a wife to a busy Obstetrician- Gynaecologist and mother to two boys while building her career in paediatrics.

In 2000, she and her family relocated to Wellington, New Zealand, where she became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and worked as a consultant paediatrician at Wellington Children's Hospital.

After dedicating 14 years to her role at CCDHB as a consultant paediatrician in general and developmental paediatrics, Dr Langdana decided to embark on an exciting new adventure. In 2019, she worked with MSF ('Medecins sans Frontieres or 'Doctors without Borders') in Aweil, South Sudan.

When she is not working, Dr Langdana enjoys reading, painting, cooking for friends and family, yoga, bush walks, and working as a volunteer at Soup Kitchen.

Her passion for positively impacting the world continues to inspire her work as a paediatrician at Wellington Hospital, where she currently practices. Dr Langdana's unwavering dedication to her field and her desire to make a difference in the lives of others make her an exceptional paediatrician and an inspiration to those around her.