Sexism in Russian neurosurgery

Abstract

The work is devoted to the study of the issue of gender inequality in Russian neurosurgery. Materials and methods: the study is based on an anonymous survey of neurosurgeons working in Russia. The authors have developed 2 questionnaires, different for men and women. 103 certified neurosurgeons were interviewed, 53 of them were men and 50 — women. Results: on average, male neurosurgeons were older, with more work experience, more often had a medical category (p <0.05) and performed a greater number of independent operations (p <0.01). In all the same questions characterizing the perception of the image of a female neurosurgeon, significant differences were revealed between men and women (p <0.01). Women do not feel less trust in the quality of their work because of their gender, but throughout their medical education and work, they regularly face the notion that neurosurgery is not a suitable profession for women. Harassment is not a typical phenomenon in Russian neurosurgery. Among the authors of articles in the 5 most cited Russian neurosurgical journals for 2016–2018, there were 20.7 % women; 15 % of the first authors were women. Conclusions: female neurosurgeons in Russia face manifestations of gender discrimination in the professional environment, which is an additional obstacle to becoming a neurosurgeon. The perception of the image of a female neurosurgeon differs significantly among neurosurgeons, depending on their gender. English version of the article on pp. 488-494 is available at URL: https://panor.ru/articles/sexism-in-russian-neurosurgery/70193.html