Barriers and Facilitators to Becoming a Medical Physicist in Bangladesh

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The notion of gender equity is debatable, and worldwide health professionals are exploring the argument. However, the contextual situation and experience are different in each country and vary across cultures. There is an extensive amount of literature that presents women’s participation and involvement as increased in science, technology, engineering and mathematics over the last decades (Frize et al., 2022); however, there are variations in data and analyses documented which refer to the gender disparity of medical physicists (MPs) Worldwide (Barabino et al., 2020; Crowe and Kairn, 2016). Medical physics is one of the fields in health care where women are underrepresented, with only 29.8% of the workforce reported identifying as females in this sector (Tsapaki et al., 2018; Tsapaki and Rehani, 2015). Historically, the healthcare profession is male-dominated (Witz, 1990), with women being underrepresented in many specialist fields like academic medicine, surgical specialities and leadership positions (Kramer et al., 2021). The Nursing profession is, however, excluded from this category and considered a woman’s job. Furthermore, women’s contributions to the healthcare industry are not frequently acknowledged (Paradis et al., 2021). Moreover, the career trail for men and women in the healthcare profession is suggestively different (Baig, 2020). Broadly, regarding leadership positions and the range of decision-making, there are observable gender discrepancies in the industry. One of the main reasons for this is social restrictions, which women in specific geographic locations like Bangladesh encounter frequently. The lack of support or a platform for women to practice their profession with autonomy impedes their progress or movement upward in their careers. Women's unhindered involvement, participation and career development in patient care will improve healthcare provision, especially in caring for vulnerable patient groups like the elderly, individuals with significant co-morbidities, and minorities (Covington et al., 2020). In addition, involving more women in healthcare will not only reduce the gender disparity and empower them but also create a sense of confidence in the professions and services provided and, as a result, improve overall well-being. This study will aim to understand the views and experiences of gender-based discrimination among practising medical physicists in Bangladesh.