It’s never been easy to be a woman in medicine. Aspiring female doctors and other medical specialists often run into deep-seeded biases at every stage of their careers.
The official theme of International Women’s Day 2025 is #AccelerateAction. We couldn’t have picked a better phrase to describe the effect our model has for women and girls on both sides of the operating table. Our merit-based “teach a person to fish” model gives dedicated female medical professionals in more than 75 countries equal access to world-class training and equipment they would have never had access to otherwise. They, in turn, go on to give girls and boys with clefts the opportunity to pursue their own dreams, not to mention glimmering role models of what women can achieve.
Here are some of our partners and supporters who #AccelerateAction each day. Read their inspirational stories below then and make sure to share on social media.
Dr. Oti Aria
In a country with a critically low patient-to-surgeon ratio, this woman is taking a hands-on approach to ending stigma and giving a healthy, hopeful future to every child with a cleft.
Dr. Buddhathida “Cartoon” Wangsrimongkol
A Smile Train partner orthodontist on why nothing animates her like helping children with clefts smile their best.
Dr. Brosly Velazquez
Meet the dentist so gentle and fun kids run toward her and her chair.
Payal Mukhi Ahuja
She’s one of the top cleft-specialized speech therapists in India. Yet the secret to her success is a skill she learned as a girl.