Abstract
Despite the fact that the percentages of women among physicians and neurologists have been rising, gender-related disparities in numerous metrics persist, notably in compensation, promotion, funding, recognition, leadership, publishing, and speaking. Simultaneously, women working in academia, including medicine, face high rates of sexual harassment. Leaders of all health care-related organizations must accept the moral and ethical imperative to expeditiously address both gender-related discrimination and harassment (inclusive of but not limited to sexual harassment) of women in medicine. At this unique time in history, there is an opportunity for leaders in neurology to strategically accelerate efforts to address workforce gender disparities and ensure harassment-free training and work environments. Leaders will have to plan an intentional path forward, using a systematic process, metrics, and strategies unique to their own organizations, to overcome barriers to an equitable and safe work environment for women. Moreover, leaders in 4 gatekeeper organizations-medical schools/academic medical centers, funding agencies, journals, and medical societies-must hold each other accountable for gender equity as their own success and financial return on investment is dependent on the efforts of those in the other categories. In short, the path forward is to focus on ethical principles and behavior when it comes to addressing workforce gender disparities for women in medicine.
Highlights
Despite the fact that the percentages of women among physicians and neurologists have been rising, gender-related disparities in numerous metrics persist, notably in compensation, promotion, funding, recognition, leadership, publishing, and speaking
Using recognition awards as a metric, we showed that inexorable zeroes existed for women among recipients of recognition awards in 7 medical specialties, including neurology, and in 14 different medical societies, including the Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Neurological Association.[16]
Leaders and colleagues failing to understand that outdated organizational processes, criteria, and rules—such as, but not limited to, hiring and admission practices and evaluation and promotion standards—may not support equitable inclusion of a diverse workforce. At this unique time in history, there is an opportunity for leaders in neurology to strategically and expeditiously address its workforce gender disparities
Summary
Podcast Dr Stacey Clardy talks with Dr Julie Silver about her paper on understanding and addressing gender equity for women in neurology. Structural and institutional bias are increasingly recognized as factors in gender disparities, while conventional reasons such as lack of qualified women (insufficient or leaky pipeline) are being refuted.[9,13,24] midcareer and senior women in medicine, including but not limited to those in neurology, have faced years of implicit (unconscious) bias, which at times rose to the level of explicit (conscious) bias—slowing their career growth, causing them to be overlooked for well-deserved recognition and promotions, and making them uncomfortable and even unsafe in their workplaces.
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