Gender Representation at Neurological Surgery Conferences.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nWomen constitute a minority (9.2%) of academic neurosurgeons. We previously found that women in academic medicine are disadvantaged in funding and career advancement opportunities. We hypothesized that women are also underrepresented at neurosurgical society conferences and sought to quantify this.\n\n\nMETHODS\nPrograms from the 2014-2018 meetings of The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), American Association of Neurological Surgery (AANS), and North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) were included in analysis. Demographic data including name, gender, and geographic region of practice were collected for speaker, moderator, or leadership positions. Chi-squared statistical analysis was performed for difference in gender representation across all opportunity spots.\n\n\nRESULTS\nBetween 2014-2018, there was no female presidents or honored guest at any academic meetings analyzed; 53.8% of executive committees were all-male. Women often constituted a minority (<15%) of speakers and moderators at CNS, AANS, and NASBS meetings: Speakers (% female, range): 8.6 (5.5-11.7), 13.6 (10.1-19.7), and 10.5 (5.6-16.6), Moderators (% female, range): 7.8 (0-14.3), 23.0 (81.3-91.3), and 13.0 (8.6-18.7); respectively. Conference panels were frequently all-male (58% CNS, 20.7% AANS, 61% NASBS). Chi-square analysis found a disparity in male and female participation across all opportunity spots (P=0.002). Additionally, female participants are often repeated, decreasing the total number of unique women participating. There was no significant increase in female participation across our study period.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nFrom 2014-2018, the underrepresentation of women in national neurosurgical conferences either matched or exceeded the baseline gender disparity seen in academic neurosurgery. We discuss potential causes of and strategies to address these findings.