The current status of gender equity in medicine in Korea: an online survey about perceived gender discrimination

Human Resources for Health

Hyun-Young Shin¹  Hang Aie Lee² 

[1] Department of Family Medicine, Myongji Hospital, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 10475, Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea;Korean Medical Women’s Association, Seoul, Republic of Korea;The National Assembly of The Republic of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea;Korean Medical Women’s Association, Seoul, Republic of Korea;

关键词: Equity;    Doctor;    Gender discrimination;    Korea;    Medical profession;    Women;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12960-020-00513-8

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAlthough the number of women doctors has increased in South Korea, and efforts to improve gender awareness have gained importance in recent years, the issue of gender equity in the medical field has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the current status of gender equity in the medical profession in Korea.MethodsAn online survey on perceived gender discrimination was conducted for 2 months, with both men and women doctors participating. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 1170 doctors responded to the survey (9.2% response rate). The survey found that 47.3% of the women respondents and 18.2% of the men had experienced gender discrimination in the resident selection process (P < 0.05), 17.2% of the women and 8.7% of the men had experienced discrimination during the fellowship application process (P < 0.05), and 36.2% of the women and 8.0% of the men had experienced discrimination during the professorship application process (P < 0.05). Both men and women cited the issue of childbirth and parenting as the number one cause of gender discrimination against women doctors.ConclusionsThis study revealed the presence of perceived gender discrimination in the Korean medical society. To address discrimination, a basic approach is necessary to change the working environment so that it is flexible for women doctors, and to change the current culture where the burden of family care, including pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, is the primary responsibility of women.

【 授权许可】

CC BY