Female doctors still missing from key specialities, creating gender gaps: Experts warn
Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh produces more female medical graduates than ever before, yet the pipeline thins sharply when it comes to higher studies and entry into major clinical disciplines, researchers and medical expert said.
They also said that female doctors are outnumbered in MBBs, however in postgraduate degrees they tend to cluster in just a few departments, mostly gynaecology, pathology, dermatology and radiology etc. Specialities such as neurosurgery, orthopaedics, urology and neuro-medicine and other disciplines still have almost no female presence. This gap, experts say, is more than a workforce imbalance — it has real consequences for patients. Many women prefer seeing a female specialist, but often there are none available. “Where are so many girls who pass MBBS going?” asked one senior physician at Wednesday’s seminar in Dhaka. “If we don’t address this now, the imbalance will only deepen.”
These concerns came up at a seminar titled “Bridging the Gender Gap in Healthcare: Addressing Disparities in Career Progression and Aspirations among Women Healthcare Professions in Bangladesh”,. This research was conducted by the university of Greenwich , funded by the British Council, carried out in partnership with the Independent university of Bangladesh and organised by Community Participation and Development (CPD) at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka.
“There are many branches in higher medical education, but in most of them women are simply absent,” said Fatima Kanis Nayan, PhD researcher at the University of Greenwich, who presented her findings. “Family, social and economic barriers keep pushing them back.”
Speakers said the challenges come from many directions. Female doctors often face strong pressure from families to limit their ambitions just as they attempt to pursue higher degrees such as FCPS or MD / MS. Ms Fatima also explored that Institutional support is uneven. Financial constraints, a shortage of mentors, and rigid social expectations all narrow their choices.
Her research highlighted the voices of women who described obstacles ranging from childcare responsibilities to long-held cultural taboos, and from unsafe workplaces to a lack of role models. Despite a slow rise in female participation, she said, “The social scenario is changing which is also encouraging.” Yet the seminar didn’t stop at identifying problems — it put forward a long list of solutions.
Ms Fatima Nayan emphasised the role of institutions in motivating and retaining women: early mentoring during MBBS, supportive supervisors, childcare facilities, equal participation in clinical departments, and a positive work environment that takes women’s concerns seriously. She also pointed to the importance of peer support, shifts in social attitudes, psychological counselling, and even how childhood upbringing shapes confidence and career choices. Participants stressed the role of the government as well: ensuring workplace safety, offering bursaries or loans for postgraduate study, creating posts in understaffed departments, improving basic facilities like washrooms and prayer rooms, and carrying out research on what women in the health sector actually need.
“Unless we make the work environment safe and genuinely supportive, women will keep falling behind,” said one health expert. Dr Kenisha Linton, Associate Professor at the University of Greenwich, shared international perspectives on women’s career progression, calling for stronger professional development pathways and more structured mentorship.
Prof Dr Saki Md Jakiul Alam, Principal of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, reminded the audience that social norms are changing but not fast enough. “Women are now active in many spheres of life, including healthcare,” he said. “But in major disciplines their numbers remain very low. Government and all related institutions should work together to remove the barriers so that female doctors can work safely and grow in their profession.” The event was chaired by Moslema Bari, Executive Director of CPD, while Zakia Sharmin of the British Council delivered the welcome remarks.