Female doctors and engineers in Ireland have highlighted the challenges they continue to face in their professions on International Women’s Day, despite more women than ever before entering these roles.
The number of young female doctors has risen steadily over the past decade, the Medical Council said, with the organisation marking International Women’s Day with a campaign to ‘Break the Bias’.
Some patients continue to expect male surgeons or specialists, it said, while many of those who leave the medical register are women citing issues surrounding maternity leave or the demands of balancing both family life and medical professional practice.
“While the number of female doctors on the register is increasing, particularly among younger doctors, there is still work to be done in forging gender parity in the profession,” said Medical Council President Dr Suzanne Crowe.
“Gender balance is not solely a women's issue, but also an economic issue, and improving the situation for female medics will positively affect patients.
“Medicine, like many professions, has traditionally been male dominated, and I know of many women doctors who face gendered assumptions daily, when a patient might be expecting a male surgeon or specialist.”
Medical register
At the end of 2021, there were 25,959 doctors on the medical register, 45 per cent of whom were female. There were 11,055 doctors on the specialist register, with 4,946 females - also 45 per cent, compared to just 38 per cent 10 years ago.
“This trend is particularly evident among younger doctors in the 20 to 35-year-old category, where in 2021, 53 per cent were females and 47 per cent were males, the same as the previous year,” said Dr Crowe.
“The Medical Workforce Intelligence Reports that the Medical Council publishes annually, highlights that family remains to be a reason why many doctors voluntarily leave the medical council register each year.
“Many of those that leave the register are women who feel that being a mother and caring for a family can make it difficult for them to maintain a good work-life balance. In particular, maternity leave, and the demands of balancing both home and medical professional practice and the long working hours have been cited as reasons.”
Dr Crowe also paid tribute to the “daughters, mothers, sisters [and] grandmother” in Ukraine on this International Women’s Day, “crossing the borders, leaving behind sons, fathers, brothers and grandfathers.”
"I am thinking also of those doctors and nurses, working in hospitals that have been targeted during the Russian invasion of Ukraine... The strength, resilience and fortitude that Ukrainian women are showing during these dark days is truly inspirational.”
Female engineers
Meanwhile, Engineers Ireland also said that more must be done to stem the loss of qualified female engineers from the sector.
Although 23 per cent of engineering graduates are female, according to the latest data from the Higher Education Authority, just 12 per cent of those working in the sector are women.
Engineers Ireland said more concerted partnerships between industry and academia are required to encourage more women to remain in the profession.
“The fall-off between graduate numbers and women working in the profession requires greater focus and more creative engagement between professional bodies, engineering organisations and the education system,” said President of Engineers Ireland Professor Orla Feely.
“At Engineers Ireland, our Women in Engineering Group is working hard to find ways to encourage more women to enter the engineering industry, and also to stay there.”
Caroline Spillane, director general of Engineers Ireland, added: “Breaking down barriers and encouraging girls to enter the profession and young women to remain in the sector is crucial, as is showcasing the many varied, exciting career opportunities that are on offer in this respect.”
Engineers Ireland webinars to mark International Women’s Day this year include a guidance counsellor online information session on the expanding career opportunities for girls in engineering and other tech areas.
Engineers Ireland’s Women in Engineering Group will also host an online panel discussion on ways to tackle biases and support female engineers' progress in the sector.
