PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THE BRAZILIAN SOCIETY OF COLOPROCTOLOGY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS: WHAT IS THE FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN LEADERSHIP ROLES AND THE ANNUAL CONGRESS OF THIS SPECIALTY?

Introduction Despite the evident growth in the number of female physicians over the last decades, the underrepresentation of women in surgical specialties and scientific events related to this field is a topic that has been little discussed. There is a lack of references and scientific data to foster discussions about this issue.

Objective This study aims to evaluate the participation of women in the Brazilian Society of Coloproctology (SBCP), analyzing the percentage of leadership positions held by women as well as their participation in the annual congress of this specialty.

Methods Data on the number of women in leadership positions and their participation in the specialty's congress (main sessions, awards received, and secondary sessions) were collected from the online platform of the SBCP. These data were organized in an Excel spreadsheet and subsequently analyzed to verify frequencies. Information on leadership positions and congresses held between 2013 and 2023 was gathered.

Results Among the 9 presidents across 11 leadership terms (including one three-year term), only 2 (22.2%) were women. Regarding leadership positions during the evaluated period, of the 618 positions available, women held 139 (22.49%). Concerning awards at congresses during the evaluated period, of the 79 awards given, women received 40 (50.6%). Evaluating presentations in plenary sessions (main sessions), women were responsible for 213 (24.8%) of the 857 presentations conducted. For secondary sessions held in 2022-2023, women delivered 34 (29.82%) of the 114 presentations.

Conclusion Although the number of female physicians in the SBCP has increased and women received more than half of the awards for scientific work, men continue to dominate prominent spaces in scientific discussions and occupy the majority of leadership positions.

Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
25. April 2025