A central theme of Dr. Buckley’s work is a new vision for women and being a priority, which focuses on the idea that a woman must see herself as a priority rather than a secondary figure to her family members.
She addresses how social gender norms often cause moms to deplete themselves. To combat this, she teaches women to:
Understand the big picture of their daily “100% energy budget”.
Acknowledge that issues like polycystic ovary syndrome and menopause are female-specific topics that belong in the workplace.
Differentiate between what they “need” versus what they “want” to achieve well-being.
Challenge the status quo where autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disease may affect women differently.
Sexual and Reproductive Health
In her TED Talk, Dr. Buckley, based in Washington, D.C., discusses sexual and reproductive health, specifically focusing on empowering young girls. She argues that connecting women to their sexual pleasure early on helps them find their voice in all areas of life.
The committee concluded that society is more comfortable discussing female pain; such as reproductive health issues like birthing pains, musculoskeletal and skin diseases, and miscarriages—than female pleasure.
Listen to the full talk here: A New Vision for Women and Being a Priority w/ Dr. Robin Buckley
Research and Systemic Gaps
The podcast touches upon the critical role of communication in addressing significant gaps in how we discuss women’s health conditions.
Dr. Robin’s work mirrors the goals of health services research and population science. She highlights that:
Mental health and population health are bidirectionally connected to physical wellness.
There are persistent gaps in women’s health research and NIH research investment.
Strategic plan efforts, such as a new strategic plan for program coordination, are vital to address health disparities and minority health.
Training and Education
Dr. Buckley provides training and education efforts through workforce development and career development. Her education efforts include:
Making Your Brain Your Ally: Prioritizing self-care to avoid being “mentally strung out”.
Interdisciplinary Research: Supporting interdisciplinary research careers and training grants to close research gaps and research excellence issues.
Child Health: Focusing on human development and child health by modeling healthy boundaries.
Risk Factors: Helping women identify risk factors in their own biological variables and female physiology.
Dr. Buckley’s new vision encourages a transformative change in how women view their life course, ensuring they take ownership of their gender diversity and power.
READ Related article: The Shocking Ways Data Bias Makes Women ‘Irrelevant,’ and What We Can Do to Stop It
