A report produced by the Royal College of Anaesthetists showed that in 2020 38% of consultant anaesthetists were women in comparison to 28% in 2007. While there has been a positive increase in numbers there are still gaps within the anaesthesia world where women are not as heavily represented. One such area is women in university-appointed clinical roles.

An article produced by Christa Boar and Ramani Moonesinghe and published by the BJA talks about the imbalance of gender and the need for more women and diversity in anaesthesia academia. They highlight a need to discuss why there is a lack of female representation in academic roles. Bullying and sexual harassment is still a pressing matter within academic institutions and can have a major impact on women working in those settings. While there are regulations and procedures in place to prevent these situations, it seems to be a bit slower to find its footing. It is also thought that men are more likely to publish earlier in their academic career in comparison to women, which can pose as a disadvantage to women who are in the early stages in their career.

We are keen to highlight the importance of gender equality and female role models within anaesthesia at ACC this year and there will be a female lead panel session on gender inequalities comprised of leading women in anaesthesia, medicine, and critical care.