Understanding Diversity: Muslim Women in Health Care
Mary K. Madsen (left) and Lila Ali
UWM Photo by Alan Magayne Roshak
In an effort to investigate the importance of diversity in health care, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee undergraduate student Lila Ali and Health Care Administration Professor Mary K. Madsen conducted a study of employment of Muslim women in health care. Madsen teaches in UWM’s College of Health Sciences.
The initial qualitative study interviewed Muslim women in health professions and found that those women who wore a hijab (headscarf) were being treated differently than women who did not. Women who wore a hijab reported being viewed as “ignorant” and “oppressed,” and some patients even refused to receive health care services from them. This viewpoint was common not only in individuals, but also within organizations.
The study also looked at the reactions of co-workers, patients and staff when women in health care positions identified themselves as Muslim. Overall, the Muslims were found to have more positive experiences than negative ones. “Still, some of the reactions were strongly negative because Islam is largely a misunderstood religion in America, wrongly identified with terrorism and discrimination against women,” says Ali.
To further investigate the employment of Muslims in health care, Ali and Madsen conducted a second quantitative study to understand how Muslims are being affected, if at all, by these reactions. A survey was given to Muslim health care workers and administrators to measure if they faced any inequities in the health care workplace.
A separate survey was given to health care industry leadership in order to understand their practices in hiring Muslim employees. This study showed strong disparities between perceptions of health care management and that of Muslim health care professionals. The study showed a lack of diversity-initiating programs for health care managers. The study also revealed a lack of awareness among Muslim health care professionals of those diversity programs that did exist.
Madsen and Ali believe that recommendations from this research will lead to an understanding of the issues that Muslim women face both in the workplace as well as in society at large.
URL: http://www.uwm.edu/News/Features/06.06/Muslim_Women_in_Healthcare.html
Copyright 2006
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