Unveiling the Factors Behind Under-Representation of Women in Leadership Positions within Dental Academia

Abstract

Introduction: Women play a vital role in the health sector of Punjab, Pakistan occupying 68% percent of total seats for undergraduate students in Pakistani dental colleges. However, this proportion decreases as one moves up in the organizational hierarchy with men dominating leadership positions in Pakistan. This has led to negligible women representation in dental academia. Objectives: This study aimed to explore female dental academia leaders’ perspectives on possible reasons behind the under-representation of women in leadership positions in the dental academia of Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological research design using semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling was conducted from March 2018 to February 2019. Eight out of 10 invited female dental academia leaders working in public sector dental colleges of Punjab participated in individual in-depth interviews. Data were organized in Atlas-ti and analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: Thematic analysis led to the development of six themes: 1) Family responsibilities, 2) Work environment, 3) Gender bias, 4) Lack of Counseling, 5) Financial matters, and 6) Transport issues and long distance from the workplace. Sub-themes further elaborate on the findings and provide deep insight into the problem. Conclusion: The problem of female underrepresentation in dental academia leadership is multifaceted. Reserving separate funds for women, arranging career counselling sessions, decreasing working hours during special circumstances, and changing attitudes towards women’s role in households will help overcome the problem. The study opens a path for future research on the development of interventions or strategies to overcome the reasons.