Understanding Societal Preferences Can Inform the Discussion Seeking to Promote Gender Equity in Surgery

Over the last 50 years, there has been an awakening to the truth that all human beings, regardless of their gender identity, are created as equals. I say 50 years because, to me, that coincides with a real call for action (often referred to as the gender revolution) towards equal opportunity at the work place for every individual regardless of their gender. This revolution appears to have gained more traction only recently, and we should be proud to be living in these progressive times where we have the opportunity to support the change for good. Surgery, in general, has been a medical specialty where the ability to achieve gender equity, let alone gender equality, has been challenging. The reasons for this are multifactorial and may include conscious and unconscious gender bias, the lack of appropriate role models, and the lack of consideration for care-giving responsibilities both in training and in post-graduate practice. A factor, often ignored, when considering the problem of gender equity in medical professions is societal preferences. The study by Martins et al. [4] from Pakistan provides a bold initial step to enlighten the global readership of the World Journal of Surgery about this additional factor that significantly impacts the progress of gender equity...