Let’s Hear from the Women: A Recount on Epilepsy Professionals’ Experiences
Abstract number :
1.393
Submission category :
15. Practice Resources
Year :
2023
Submission ID :
481
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/2/2023 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Ana Suller Marti, MD, MSc, PhD – Western University
Elma Paredes Aragon, MD – Neurological Emergencies Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, México; Alina Ivaniuk, MD – Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, USA; Jayme Arts, BA – Western University; Angelina Kakooza Mwesige, MD, PhD – Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Nancy Volkers, BA – International League Against Epilepsy; Manuela Ochoa-Urrea, MD – The University of Texas Health Science Centre at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
Rationale: Despite pre-existing knowledge of sex differences in the workplace, additional awareness needs to be raised regarding issues in various workspaces and how these issues are impacting the career of women across the globe; in particular, women in healthcare and research fields. More available data will lead to increased awareness. Currently, there are no studies reviewing the impact of sex in the workplace of epilepsy. Our study aimed to collect the opinions and lived experiences of women working in the fields related to epilepsy worldwide in order to summarise the sex/gender-related problems women face for the first time.
Methods: We conducted a global cross-sectional survey investigating the personal experiences of women working in various professions within the epilepsy field. Online surveys were available in English, French, and Spanish. Two hundred thirty-nine responses were analyzed.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 39 years (IQR=46.5-32), and they resided in 33 different countries. Ninety-nine percent (n=117) identified as female. When asked if they feel the need to work harder than male colleagues to be respected or treated equally, 53% (n=115) said “yes.” One participant said, “There is an automatic respect for the male physicians. For the females in the group, there is almost a trial period, where we are being assessed…”. 75.6% (n=82) recounted they had experienced Imposter Syndrome, and one participant said they are “almost daily questioning if [they are] good/smart/talented enough.” 26.5% (n=117) stated they had experienced gender-based discrimination at their workplace. For those who were parents, 67.3% (n=55) reported feeling that their academic/clinical role had been impacted by having children. 51.3% (n=117) answered “yes” when questioned if they think men earn more than women do in a similar professional role. 61.5% (n=117) of participants stated they were leaders in a workplace project and 57.3% (n=117) of participants felt overwhelmed by their professional duties often enough that the stress affected their daily lives. 50.9% (n=116) of participants reported having a woman mentor and 45.3% (n=117) had a woman supervisor/chair. When asked if they felt safe confiding in men colleagues/supervisors regarding workplace issues (n=115), 50.4% said “yes,” and 35.7% said “sometimes.” When asked to explain how their gender identity has impacted their participation in conferences, one participant said, “I have noticed some professors/senior level are rather inappropriate with younger women (usually PhD students) at conferences. Some can be flirty, not serious, and touchy (back and arm, etc.). I never see this with male students. This is deeply problematic as this puts me off participating in conferences or even wanting to talk to these professors… as I don't really want to interact with these people for fear of safety.”
Conclusions: This is the first study investigating the impact of gender disparities in the epilepsy workplace. These preliminary results suggest that professional women are subject to sex-related disparities, and this study opens the conversation for new opportunities and changes in the workplace environment.
Funding: N/A
Practice Resources