More than 90% of female doctors have faced sexism at work, finds BMA

A new report from the British Medical Association has published results showing 9 in 10 female doctors have experienced sexism at work in the UK, including unwanted physical contact, denial of opportunities and being asked to massage male colleagues in meetings.

The findings showed 91% of female doctors have experienced sexism at work, almost one-third (31%) of female doctors had experienced unwanted physical conduct in their workplace, and two in five (42%) of female and male doctors who had witnessed or experienced sexism felt that they could not report it.

A female GP has said "I was asked at an interview if I was planning on having children. I’ve had patients refusing to see me as they want to see a proper – i.e. male – doctor … Advised I was not pretty enough to cause a distraction in meetings so they could treat me like a bloke.”

Danny Mortimer, the deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospital trusts, said "NHS organisations are working hard to make sure their staff do not experience sexism, or indeed, any form of discrimination, and Amanda Pritchard’s recent appointment [as NHS England’s new chief executive] signals a more representative leadership. But as this report makes clear, there is far more work to be done.”

Read full story.

Source: The Guardian, 26 August 2021