Gender Representation in Leadership & Research: A 13-Year Review of the Annual Canadian Society of Otolaryngology Meetings
*Corresponding Author:Received Date: Feb 28, 2025 / Published Date: Mar 30, 2025
Citation: Tsung-Lin Y (2025) Gender Representation in Leadership & Research: A 13-Year Review of the Annual Canadian Society of Otolaryngology Meetings. Otolaryngol (Sunnyvale) 15: 628.DOI: 10.4172/2161-119X.1000628
Copyright: © 2025 Tsung-Lin Y. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Gender disparities in surgical disciplines, particularly in leadership and research roles, have been a persistent concern despite increasing female representation in medical training. This study examines gender representation in leadership positions and research presentations at the Annual Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (CSO) meetings over a 13-year period (2008–2020). Using publicly available scientific programs, we analyzed the proportion of women in society leadership, invited speaker roles, workshop panels, and oral paper presentations, alongside the number of unique female contributors. A total of 1874 opportunity spots were identified, with women occupying 18.6% (n=348) of these roles, held by 92 unique individuals. Female representation increased from 6.7% in 2008 to 23.7% in 2020, with significant gains among panelists, reducing the prevalence of male-only panels ("manels"). However, growth in unique female speakers lagged, and senior leadership roles, such as CSO presidency and scientific program chairs, remained predominantly male. Statistical analyses (chi-square and logistic regression) revealed significant gender differences across roles (p<0.05). These findings suggest progress in gender diversity, particularly in visible speaking roles, but highlight persistent gaps in leadership and unique contributor representation, underscoring the need for targeted strategies to enhance equity in otolaryngology.
