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Cultural Barriers for Women in Surgery: How Thick is the Glass Ceiling? An Analysis from a Low Middle-Income Country

  • Surgery in Low and Middle Income Countries
  • Published:
World Journal of Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

This study aimed to highlight cultural barriers faced by surgeons pursuing a surgical career faced by surgeons at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. As more females opt for a surgical career, barriers faced by female surgeons are becoming increasingly evident, many of which are rooted in cultural norms. In Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim-majority, low middle-income country, certain societal expectations add additionally complexity and challenges to existing cultural barriers.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was administered via e-mail to the full-time faculty and trainees in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from July 2019 to November 2019.

Results

In total, 100 participants were included in this study, with the majority being residents (55.6%) and consultants (33.3%). 71.9% of female surgeons felt that cultural barriers towards a surgical career existed for their gender, as compared to 25.4% of male surgeons (p < 0.001). 40.6% of females reported having been discouraged by family/close friends from pursuing surgery, as compared to only 9.0% of males (p < 0.001). Moreover, a greater percentage of females surgeons were responsible for household cooking, cleaning and laundry, as compared to male surgeons (all p < 0.001). Lastly, 71.4% of female surgeons felt that having children had hindered their surgical career, as compared to 4.8% of males (p < 0001).

Conclusion

Our study shows that significant cultural barriers exist for females pursuing a surgical career in our setting. Findings such as these emphasize the need for policy makers to work towards overcoming cultural barriers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan

    Hina Inam, Nida Zahid, Sadaf Khan, Abida K. Sattar, Aneela Darbar, Sharmeen Akram, Nuzhat Faruqui, Shaista M. Khan, Gulzar Lakhani, Ather Enam & Mahim A. Malik

  2. Research Associate, Dean’s Office, Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan

    Mahin Janjua

  3. Medical Student, Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan

    Russell S. Martins, Mishal Gillani & Syeda Amrah Hashmi

  4. Dean, Medical College, Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan

    Adil H. Haider

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  1. Hina Inam
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Correspondence to Mahim A. Malik.

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This article or its abstract has not been published in any journal or presented in any conference. The research received no funding or grant from any funding or grant agency in Pakistan. There is no conflict of interest reported by any of the authors.

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Inam, H., Janjua, M., Martins, R.S. et al. Cultural Barriers for Women in Surgery: How Thick is the Glass Ceiling? An Analysis from a Low Middle-Income Country. World J Surg 44, 2870–2878 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-020-05544-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-020-05544-9

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