Women in Dental Academia: Reasons for their Under-Representation in Dental Academia Leadership Positions

Introduction: Women play a vital role in the health sector of Punjab, Pakistan. The statistics of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council shows that the female students occupy 68 % percent of total seats in Pakistani dental colleges(1). However, this proportion decreases moving up the hierarchy with men dominating the leadership positions (2) in Pakistan, and their (women)representation at postgraduate and leadership positions is negligible. Objectives: To explore academia leaders’ perspective on possible reasons behind the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in the dental academia of Punjab. Study Design: A qualitative, phenomenological research design using semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling was adopted to pursue the objectives of the study. 8 out of 10 academia women leaders working in public sector dental colleges of Punjab gave interviews and expressed their experiences and reasons behind the underrepresentation. Setting:All public sector dental colleges of Punjab. Results: Six themes were generated from the analysis. 1)Family responsibilities, 2) Workenvironment, 3) Gender bias, 4) Lack of Counseling, 5) Financial matters, and 6) Transport issuesand long distance from the workplace. Sub-themes further elaborate on the findings and provide deep insight into the problem. Conclusion: The problem of underrepresentation is multifaceted. Reserving separate funds for women, arranging career counseling sessions, decreasing working hours during special circumstances, and changing attitudes towards women will helpovercome the problem. The study opens a path for future research on the development of the interventions or strategies to overcome the reasons.