Waves is a Section of the APOA formed in 2021 in order to support and advocate for women in Orthopaedics as well as increasing the awareness and improving the management of Orthopaedic Conditions affecting women in the community.
We aim to create a supportive network of female orthopaedic surgeons and male champions of change to advocate for and work with each other to improve diversity, inclusivity and working conditions of female orthopaedic surgeons in Asia Pacific countries.
The objectives of WAVES are:
- To advocate with regards to gender issues for women working in the field of orthopaedic surgery
- To facilitate communication between female trainees and consultants to the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association (APOA)
- To provide mentorship and sponsorship and support for women working and training in the field of orthopaedics
- To provide a forum for the views of female trainees and consultant surgeons to be shared between each other
- To encourage and promote more women to pursue orthopaedic surgery as a career through creating visible role models, providing career advice opportunities and providing educational opportunities.
- To increase awareness, address and/or monitor gender specific issues in the field of orthopaedics
- To improve the quality of care and life for female patients in diagnosis, investigation and management of orthopaedic conditions by advocating, collaborating and supporting research.
- To enhance key decision-making by bodies of the APOA through the provision of diversity of ideas
- To advise and support scientific convenors in providing gender balance in scientific meetings
- To cooperate with global, international, national, and regional women orthopaedic associations, societies and specialty groups which, in the opinion of such groups, have objectives similar to the objectives of the society.