Harmonizing Professional, Personal, and Social Responsibilities: Indian Women Dentists’ Perspectives

Abstract

Women in Indian culture have a paradoxical status: on the one hand, goddesses are worshipped for power and prosperity; on the other hand, working women face challenges due to age-old beliefs and sociocultural norms. With 60% of the students enrolled in undergraduate dental education currently being women, there is a need to study the challenges these women are facing and how they tackle them. The aim of this survey study was to assess the barriers women dentists face in career advancement and how successfully they balance the personal, professional, and social aspects of their lives. Questionnaires, consisting of four qualitative and 24 quantitative items, were distributed to 500 women dentists: postgraduate residents and faculty members in dental colleges of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, as well as private dental practitioners. Of the 500 women, 210 returned the survey, for an overall response rate of 42%. The results showed that 95% of the respondents believed they successfully balance the various spheres of their lives, but the most common challenges they faced continued to be traditional gender bias, dual professional and home responsibilities, and preconceived ideas about women.