"I really think that today it is not possible to avoid women working side by side with men" - An interview with Chiara De Biase
Find out what Chiara De Biase, interventional cardiologist, thinks about the place of women in her profession today, and more broadly in health. #IWD2023 #EmbraceEquity
What exactly does this women’s day mean to you personally and professionally?
The International Women's Day is a global day celebrated annually on March 8, and its aim is to focus attention on the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Indeed, this day represents a main point in the women's rights movement, highlighting topics such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
IWD is definitely the day of the year to celebrate women's achievements, but let’s say that one day should last forever...or at least 365 days per year!
What does this day mean to me?
Personally, when I was a child, this was the day for “mimosa” gift by my father, the typical Italian flower for March 8.
Chiara De Biase
I can clearly remember the smell in the whole house since, with my mother and my sister, there were three women waiting for flowers. Today, childhood is just a memory, and I truly look at this day with empathy, not expecting flowers anymore, but rather asking for respect. The respect I mean is for all women struggling in their daily life, because of children’s education, because of hard time at work, because of rights denied, because of threatening existence for a fallen veil. Indeed, somebody said once “to be born in the right part of the world is not a merit, but just a fortune”. I think this is true above all for women because we always fight twice to get our achievements.
Professionally speaking, I must confess that I could not be happier than now, considering the possibility offered to me to do my job in the right way and in the right environment. For sure, this is not a gift, like mimosa, but rather a sign of respect for a lifetime passion and devotion to the interventional cardiology field, that made me doing the hardest choice of my life: leaving my family, my country, my language, my friends and my whole Italian environment. All that, to go straight forward to the “dream job”, if it can really exist.
Indeed, the presence of women in interventional cardiology is not a novelty today, even because so many girls choose cardiology during their medical training. But it is not just a question of numbers, but rather a need to assume that “we are here, still and again, and we would like working with you, as you, with equal rights”.
What do you think are the role and place of women in interventional cardiology today?
According to what was previously mentioned, I really think that the role of women in interventional cardiology has evolved. Last week, during a conference in Turkey, a young female student came to me by exclaiming: “thank you for being here, for us it is so important to know that women can get some records and skills”. Firstly, I felt aged, but then I realised that I was absolutely honoured to receive these words, since it has been the same for me.
When I was a student, I have always been looking up to female cardiologists, heads of some Cardiology departments or parts of international scientific societies, and I can remember this feeling: one day, I’d like to become one of them…and probably I’m still trying.
All this just to say that women have always been part of Interventional Cardiology, and that their role has not really changed, but probably just evolved, since nowadays women have the right to shine.
Would you say that the situation of women has changed in recent years? What is the current situation in your profession? And in terms of health?
Yes, I would probably say that the situation for women has definitely changed in recent years. It is noteworthy that in many cathlabs, you can find senior cardiologists women. As previously said, I really think that today it is not possible to avoid women working side by side with men, because we are finally an active part of cardiology departments and in scientific communities. Indeed, the major international societies are now looking for equal participation of both gender colleagues, in order to show how collaboration and sharing represent the key to success.
And for this reason, I am very proud to be part of the EAPCI-PCR Fellows Course Directors and of the Chairpersons of the PCR NextGen group, sharing this role with esteemed colleagues and supportive friends. In addition, I got a warm invitation to join the EuroIntervention social media team as active member of the group, and this was such an achievement given the deep impact of this very journal on scientific education and clinical progress for interventional cardiologists all over the world.
Anyway, we cannot forget that the word “women” means even “female patients” and for sure, nowadays we talk about “dedicated gender health treatment”. Why? Because we all progressed and matured, and definitely we understood that sometime female patients could present different features and represent harder challenges in terms of optimal treatment. It is not a coincidence that in many risk scores, gender represents a fundamental variable in understanding the patient’s complexity. On this specific topic, I would remind that next weekend, there would take place the GISE WOMEN congress, a dedicated conference on gender medicine supported by the Italian national association and focused on gender differences in the context of cardiovascular disease.
How would you like things to develop? What do you think could be improved? Which achievements would you wish to reach in the next year?
Indeed, I hope things will continue looking at the “pink side” of the stage. This means that I strongly believe that passion and achievements would be more and more feasible for women. Firstly, it is a matter of respect. And why not have a dedicated group of female cardiologists for scientific reports or journal paragraphs to share cathlab experience all over the world?
What could be improved? Probably, the number of female fellows moving around the world. This is something that could change only by looking at other women’s experience, in order to believe it is possible. I recognize that, sometimes, leaving one's own comfort zone can be really struggling, but in the end, it’s worth it!
On my personal point of view, what I hope for myself is to have the possibility over and over to inspire other colleagues to pursue this career, and I would really wake up one day with the smell of mimosa in my brain and the consciousness of being capable, brave and strong as the most respected man on the world.
