[Representation of women in health-related scientific societies in Spain in 2014]

Abstract

Objective: To describe the presence of women in the governance of health-related scientific societies in Spain today.

Methods: Spanish scientific societies were identified by vising the websites of the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, and Fisterra. The sex of the president, executive officers and the board of directors was identified. Data were analyzed according to the overall percentage of women and by profession and setting.

Results: Of 173 scientific societies in July 2014, 41 had a female president (22.53%). Women held 35.45% of executive positions and accounted for 36.32% of the boards of directors. Only 16.07% of medical societies had a female president compared with 76.92% of nursing societies. Primary care societies had more women in executive positions (54.55%) than societies in which the professional activity of members involved both primary and secondary care (35.74%) and societies related to hospital care (27.93%).

Conclusion: There is a lack of parity, which is greater in nursing and primary care societies than in medical and hospital-related societies. Parity decreases as the level of responsibility rises.

Keywords: Desigualdades; Gender; Glass ceiling; Género; Health professions; Inequalities; Occupational segregation; Profesiones sanitarias; Scientific societies; Segregación laboral; Sociedades científicas; Techos de cristal.