Representation of women in surgery in Pakistan: analysis of trends

Abstract

Objective: To explore empirical evidence of trends in the representation of men and women in surgical specialties in Pakistan.

Method: The descriptive, retrospective made use of secondary data obtained from two sources. The first set, from 1963 to 2000, was sourced from a College of Physician and Surgeons of Pakistan’s publication, while electronic data from 2001 to 2023 was obtained directly from the College of Physician and Surgeons of Pakistan. Data regarding gender, surgical specialty, passing year, province and city was noted. No personal, identifiable information was obtained. Data from both sources was merged within Microsoft Excel.

Results: From 1967 to 2023, there were 10,606 surgical fellows; 8,893(84%) males and 1,713(16%) females, with a male-to-female ratio of 5.2:1. Female fellows were found concentrated in paediatric surgery, ophthalmology and plastic surgery, while they had poor representation in neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery and urology. Among the provinces, Sindh showed the least disparity with 614(30%) women surgeons, and the male-to-female ratio was 2.35:1.

Conclusion: Longitudinal data provided critical insights regarding representation of women in surgery in Pakistan.

Key Words: Women, Surgery, Pakistan, Trends, Representation.