Gender Inequities in African Student Surgical Societies: Implications for Equity in the Future Surgical Workforce.
1
1 The Students' Surgical Society, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
2
2 Department of Dental Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
3
3 Students Surgical Forum, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
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4 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
5
5 TUKS University Student Surgical Society, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
6
6 School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
7
7 Intare Surgery Interest Group, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
8
8 School of Medicine, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
9
9 Makerere University Surgery Society, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
10
10 School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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11 University of Rwanda Surgical Students' Society, University of Rwanda, Butare, Rwanda
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12 College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Butare, Rwanda
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Student surgical societies, established as structured platforms dedicated to promoting interest in and engagement with surgical specialties, have been present in Africa since 2006, with the earliest documented society founded at the University of Cape Town, South Africa¹’². They host events aimed at enhancing the undergraduate surgical curriculum and offer additional extra-curricular surgical experiences¹. The number of women in the field of medicine has steadily increased over the past few decades, marking a historic shift³’⁴.This positive trend is observable across all medical specialties, including surgery⁵’⁶. However, this surge in female presence in medicine has not translated equally into advancements within the field of surgery⁷-⁹
METHODS:
Male and Female members of participating African student surgical societies were invited to fill out a 20-item questionnaire. The Yamane’s formula for quantitative data was used to calculate the sample size of 268 used in this study. SPSS v.24 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, IBM Inc) was used to analyze the quantitative data. Descriptive analyses were performed as means, standard deviation, likert scale ratings, percentages and P-values. Ethical principles of informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity were followed throughout this study.
RESULTS:
Female medical students were significantly underrepresented in both membership and leadership positions within student surgical societies. Cultural and institutional biases, lack of female mentors, and societal expectations were identified as key barriers. Despite women comprising a growing proportion of medical students, their participation in surgical societies remains limited, which may negatively affect their career progression in surgery.
CONCLUSIONS:
The study highlights persistent gender inequities within African student surgical societies that may contribute to the underrepresentation of women in surgical careers across Africa. Institutional reforms, mentorship programs, and gender-inclusive policies are necessary to address these disparities and promote equitable access to surgical education and leadership pathways.
Student surgical societies, established as structured platforms dedicated to promoting interest in and engagement with surgical specialties, have been present in Africa since 2006, with the earliest documented society founded at the University of Cape Town, South Africa¹’². They host events aimed at enhancing the undergraduate surgical curriculum and offer additional extra-curricular surgical experiences¹. The number of women in the field of medicine has steadily increased over the past few decades, marking a historic shift³’⁴.This positive trend is observable across all medical specialties, including surgery⁵’⁶. However, this surge in female presence in medicine has not translated equally into advancements within the field of surgery⁷-⁹
METHODS:
Male and Female members of participating African student surgical societies were invited to fill out a 20-item questionnaire. The Yamane’s formula for quantitative data was used to calculate the sample size of 268 used in this study. SPSS v.24 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, IBM Inc) was used to analyze the quantitative data. Descriptive analyses were performed as means, standard deviation, likert scale ratings, percentages and P-values. Ethical principles of informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity were followed throughout this study.
RESULTS:
Female medical students were significantly underrepresented in both membership and leadership positions within student surgical societies. Cultural and institutional biases, lack of female mentors, and societal expectations were identified as key barriers. Despite women comprising a growing proportion of medical students, their participation in surgical societies remains limited, which may negatively affect their career progression in surgery.
CONCLUSIONS:
The study highlights persistent gender inequities within African student surgical societies that may contribute to the underrepresentation of women in surgical careers across Africa. Institutional reforms, mentorship programs, and gender-inclusive policies are necessary to address these disparities and promote equitable access to surgical education and leadership pathways.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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