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- Talk
- 19/09/2023
- UK
Women in Orthopaedics - The Road to a Culture of Inclusion
Description
Dr. Laurie Hiemstra discusses critical ethical issues surrounding gender equity in the field of orthopedics and sports medicine, emphasizing the impact on female patients. She provides a detailed overview of gender parity statistics, highlighting the persistent gender gap in orthopedic surgery, where females represent a significantly smaller percentage compared to other medical specialties. Dr. Hiemstra presents alarming data demonstrating that women in orthopedics face systemic discrimination, including lower salaries, fewer promotions, less research funding, and a lack of leadership opportunities.
She identifies five main barriers to gender equity: constrained communication, unequal standards, a male-dominated culture, a lack of mentoring, and workplace harassment challenges. Dr. Hiemstra's engaging presentation not only sheds light on the statistics but also invites attendees to reflect on personal experiences and changes necessary to create a more inclusive environment in medicine. She emphasizes the need for intentional actions from both men and women to foster real change and highlight the importance of collective responsibility in addressing these disparities.