Motivating for a gendered analysis of trends within South African medical schools and the profession

Abstract

In South Africa, in the prestigious profession of medicine, women are still in the minority. Men continue to form nearly three quarters of the number of registered practitioners, although social and institutional exclusionary structures have been abolished. It is important to investigate the reasons underlying this state of affairs, which exists despite equality in access to educational opportunities, training and advancement in the profession, and the drastically increased number of female medical student enrolments and graduations during the last decade. What is importantly emerging as a new area for research, especially in the South African case where such studies are lacking, is an investigation into the factors specifically influencing women doctors' participation and experiences during education and in the profession, in an effort to more comprehensively explain current gender trends.