The Silent Pandemic: The Under-representation of Women in Academic Medicine and Publications—Reasons and Solutions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71164/socialmedicine.v19i2.2026.2135Keywords:
gender equity, women in medicine, academic medicine, authorship gap, gender biasAbstract
Despite near-equal global gender distribution, women remain starkly under-represented in academic medicine and scientific publications—a systemic inequity so pervasive it constitutes a silent pandemic. While women now comprise 70% of the healthcare workforce, they hold only 15% of full professorships in medicine and face persistent gaps in authorship, citations, and leadership roles. This article examines the multifaceted barriers driving this disparity, including implicit bias in hiring and promotions, disproportionate caregiving burdens, hostile work environments, and gendered disparities in mentorship and peer review. Data reveal that women-authored papers receive 30–50% fewer citations than men’s, and fewer than 20% of senior authors in high-impact journals are women. These inequities compromise scientific progress, as diverse perspectives enhance innovation and patient outcomes. Solutions demand systemic reforms: anonymised peer review, gender-balanced editorial boards, flexible work policies, institutional accountability metrics, and targeted sponsorship programs. Addressing this "pandemic" requires treating gender equity as a public health imperative—one that strengthens medicine for all.
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