As a Brazilian female cardiologist who has held leadership positions since my 40s, I understand the difficulties that women face in trying to achieve recognition and senior positions. I believe the awareness and joint efforts of both women and men can help build a more equitable future.

As of 2020, Brazil was home to nearly 16,500 cardiologists, 31.2% of whom were women1. Historically, the fields of medicine in general and cardiology in particular in Brazil and Latin America have been male-dominated. However, among new doctors and medical students in the past decade, women have outnumbered men1. This increase in female medical students foreshadows a greater female representation in cardiology in Brazil in the coming decades. Yet female doctors are not guaranteed similar opportunities, leadership positions or financial remuneration to male doctors. Nevertheless, the increase in female representation raises the expectation that more female voices will be heard and that female participation and vision will be better considered.