The gender gap in pediatric surgery: Barriers, disparities, and the way forward

IF 2.5 2区医学 Q1 PEDIATRICS

Journal of pediatric surgery Pub Date : 2025-07-16 DOI:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2025.162481

Hannah Lea Luz , Julia Haehl , Clara Franziska Luz , Sabine Zundel

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Social media movements such as #ILookLikeASurgeon and the #NYerORCoverChallenge have highlighted the lack of visibility of women in the formerly male-dominated field of surgery. This issue, known as the gender career gap, is especially evident in pediatric surgery, where women remain underrepresented in leadership roles. The “glass ceiling” and “leaky pipeline” metaphors summarize these challenges. Addressing the “leaky pipeline” is crucial, not just for individual satisfaction but to retain qualified staff in light of a looming shortage of surgeons. With this study we aim to analyze the current situation and determine possible solutions.

Materials and methods

A web-based survey was distributed globally through pediatric surgery associations and LinkedIn, gathering 185 responses. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, Stata, and NVivo.

Results

Seventy-four percent of female participants believed that gender impacts career opportunities, compared to only 32 % of male respondents. Additionally, 93 % of women reported experiencing sexual discrimination, and 42 % experienced sexual harassment. Regarding parenthood and career progression, 71 % of men did not reduce their work for childcare, whereas 29 % of women did, taking significantly longer periods off for caregiving. Proposed solutions included improving parental leave, offering part-time work options, and implementing mentorship programs to support women in the field.

Conclusion

Gender inequality in pediatric surgery is multifaceted, involving disparities in career advancement, discrimination, and parenthood impacts. Addressing these issues is vital to close the gender gap and ensure a high-qualified future workforce.

查看原文本刊更多论文

儿科外科中的性别差距：障碍、差距和前进的道路。

背景：#我看起来像外科医生#和#NYerORCoverChallenge等社交媒体运动凸显了女性在以前男性主导的外科领域缺乏知名度。这个问题被称为性别职业差距，在儿科外科领域尤为明显，在这个领域，女性在领导角色中的比例仍然不足。“玻璃天花板”和“漏水的管道”的比喻概括了这些挑战。解决“管道泄漏”问题至关重要，这不仅是为了满足个人需求，也是为了在外科医生短缺的情况下留住合格的员工。通过这项研究，我们旨在分析现状并确定可能的解决方案。材料和方法：一项基于网络的调查通过儿科外科协会和LinkedIn在全球范围内分发，收集了185份回复。使用Microsoft Excel、Stata和NVivo对数据进行分析。结果：74%的女性受访者认为性别影响职业机会，而只有32%的男性受访者持同样观点。此外，93%的女性报告遭受过性别歧视，42%的女性遭受过性骚扰。在为人父母和职业发展方面，71%的男性没有因为照顾孩子而减少工作，而29%的女性这样做了，她们请假的时间明显更长。建议的解决方案包括改善育儿假，提供兼职工作选择，以及实施指导计划以支持该领域的女性。结论：小儿外科中的性别不平等是多方面的，包括职业发展、歧视和生育影响方面的差异。解决这些问题对于缩小性别差距和确保高素质的未来劳动力至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of pediatric surgery 医学-外科

CiteScore

1.10

自引率

12.50%

发文量

569

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： The journal presents original contributions as well as a complete international abstracts section and other special departments to provide the most current source of information and references in pediatric surgery. The journal is based on the need to improve the surgical care of infants and children, not only through advances in physiology, pathology and surgical techniques, but also by attention to the unique emotional and physical needs of the young patient.