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- Talk
- 15/09/2021
- Canada
Perpetrators of Gender-Based and Sexual Harassment in the Field of Orthopaedic Surgery
Description
Victoria Giglio presents a pressing issue surrounding gender-based and sexual harassment within orthopedic surgery in Canada. Opening her talk with a disclosure statement, she lays the groundwork by referring to definitions set by the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the Canadian Labour Code, emphasizing the detrimental impacts of such harassment both on individuals and the workplace environment.
Giglio indicates the gender disparity in orthopedic surgery with alarming statistics: as of 2015, only 5% of active orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. were female, and a 2018 Canadian report showed only 12% of orthopedic surgeons in Canada were women. Following this, she reveals results from a recent survey, conducted to assess the harassment landscape in this field. The survey aimed at uncovering who perpetrates these incidents, and involved 465 participants, yielding a modest response rate of 26% predominantly made up of male respondents.
The survey results reveal peers as the most frequent perpetrators of gender-based harassment, particularly noted by male surgeons, while female surgeons more frequently reported direct supervisors and patients as perpetrators. Furthermore, it was found that for instances of sexual harassment, patients were often cited as the main culprits, revealing a divergence in experiences based on gender. Giglio underscores that the timing of these harassments often occurred during residency, a critical stage in a surgeon's career.
She highlights the common reasons for underreporting harassment, such as doubts about the seriousness of the issue and individual resolutions, warning that this environment affects recruitment within the specialty and perpetuates gender disparity.
Giglio concludes her presentation by advocating for the need to reinforce existing harassment policies and develop new interventions, expressing that patient dynamics also warrant inclusion in educational efforts. She emphasizes the urgency of the situation, as these findings not only reflect the unique challenges within orthopedic surgery in Canada but also align with global health goals set by the World Health Organization aimed at eradicating gender-based violence and discrimination.