Women in Dermatology Leadership: Results from a Nationwide Survey

BACKGROUND: Significant progress has been made in the representation of women at various fronts in dermatology. Nonetheless, women fall far behind their male counterparts when it comes to leadership roles as indicated by recent research data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study amongst 180 dermatologists. Anonymous surveys were sent to 300 dermatologists across India, in March 2021, consisting of 14 questions, discussed and made by the two authors, the senior author having held leadership positions in dermatology. RESULTS: Amongst the 180 respondents, 79% were female, and 21% were male. Significant attrition of women dermatologists in academic institutions, with increasing experience in the field was observed. A higher percentage of men had been in a leadership position as compared to women. (P > .05). The majority of the female respondents agreed that women had to struggle more than men to be accepted as leaders. (P < 0.05) Most women reduced their working hours to cater to household responsibilities, and almost 70% of the women agreed to having experienced burnout as a result of low job satisfaction or an absence of work-life balance (P < 0.05). More women agreed to having faced discrimination at the workplace (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Gender-based gaps in dermatology leadership still exist with regard to the number of women occupying higher academic ranks. Possible solutions include gender sensitization, creating a room for equivalent leadership opportunities, mentorship and family support, which may help tip the balance in favor of gender parity in dermatology.