The inaugural lecture of Prof. Ali Ghanchi entitled “Bridging Sage-femme or Sage-homme? Gender bias and stereotypes: disrupting harmfully persistent gender norms in healthcare” will take place on 27 March 2025 on Belval Campus.
Presentation
Despite all efforts, gender stereotyping and biases are still widespread in all spheres of society and the healthcare service is no exception. For example a midwife (sage-femme in French) has to be a woman or men must be “brave” when dealing with pain or mental illness. However these biases and stereotypes can have dangerous consequences on health. This lecture discusses gender stereotypes and biases, its detrimental effects and strategies to disrupt these harmfully persistent gender norms in healthcare.
Biography
Prior to joining the University, Prof. Ali Ghanchi worked as clinical midwife in France. For the last decade he has been a midwife manager in the Paris Region, working first at the Pitie Salpetriere Hospital then at Necker Childrens’ Hopital before becoming the head of department for the PMI at Lieusaint (Seine et Marne). His PhD thesis in Clinical Epidemiology was carried out on congenital heart defects and growth restriction in the newborn. Currently Prof. Ghanchi is the study programme director for the Bachelor in Midwifery Studies.
Programme
- 17:30 Welcome speech – Pascal Bouvry, Dean, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine
- 17:35 Lecture “Bridging Sage-femme or Sage-homme? Gender bias and stereotypes: disrupting harmfully persistent gender norms in healthcare” – Ali Ghanchi, Assistant professor in Midwifery
- 18:15 Q&A
- 18:30 Cocktail