Covadonga Bascaran

About Covadonga Bascaran

Clinical Research Fellow, International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

Why is it important to celebrate women in ophthalmology with this list?

Ophthalmology, like other surgical specialties, has been traditionally dominated by men. However, the number of women in ophthalmology has gradually increased over the last decades. This should be reflected in any recognition or celebration of the profession, particularly at leadership level.

What can be done to make the field more diverse?

A recent paper published in Eye conducted as part of the Lancet Commission on Global Eye Health (2021), examined equity and diversity in global eye health leadership and highlighted the lack of gender parity and ethnic diversity among leaders of the 150 eye health organizations. In particular, there is poor representation at the higher levels of leadership for ethnic minority women. Global Eye Health is doing worse in gender parity than the broader health and development sector. Organizations need to actively include, support and monitor diversity goals in leadership in order to reverse this trend.

Outside of work, what makes you happy?

Outside work my world revolves around my close and extended family and nothing makes me happier than spending time with them particularly in the beautiful Asturias, Spain, where I grew up. 2020 has been hard on everyone, keeping us separated and losing loved ones, and with hope in the horizon for 2021, I can’t wait to reunite with my family again.