Unveiling gender disparities among medical faculty in a developing country: A case study of a public sector teaching hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan

Mudir Khan; Brekhna  Jamil; Bushra  Mehboob; Uzma Bibi

doi:10.12669/pjms.41.2.9616

Mudir Khan Lady Reading hospital ,Peshawar, Pakistan
Brekhna Jamil Institute of Health Professions Education & Research Khyber Medical University Peshawar, Pakistan
Bushra Mehboob Assistant Professor Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peshawar Dental College Riphah International University Peshawar, Pakistan.
Uzma Bibi Department of gender studies Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.2.9616

Keywords: Gender disparity, Administration, Teaching faculty, Medical institutes, Policy gap, Workplace

Abstract

Objective: To explore the gendered experiences of medical faculty in tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan.

Method: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide in Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar from 1st April to 30th September 2023. A purposive sampling technique was employed, and data was interpreted using Ackers’s theory of Gendered Organization. Two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and six interviews were conducted and transcribed for data analysis. Braun and Clark’s thematic analysis was used for data analysis.

Results: Five themes and twelve sub-themes emerged after data analysis. Most male faculty accepted that gender disparity exists in medical institutions and found an element of ignorance in their responses. On the other hand, most females declared the existence of gender bias in administration, career opportunities, working environment, and basic facilities. Findings revealed the dependency of females on males. A huge gap was also found in policy regarding gender disparity.

Conclusion: Gender disparity exists everywhere because of patriarchal structures. Study unmasked the workplace realities of both genders within medical institutes. Mainly found that females become more victims of this issue. Women lag behind due to the disparity prevalent among both genders.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.2.9616

How to cite this: Khan M, Jamil B, Mehboob B, Bibi U. Unveiling gender disparities among medical faculty in a developing country: A case study of a public sector teaching hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2025;41(2):548-553. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.2.9616

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Author Biographies

Brekhna Jamil, Institute of Health Professions Education & Research Khyber Medical University Peshawar, Pakistan

Contribution

Did the review and final approval of the manuscript

Bushra Mehboob, Assistant Professor Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peshawar Dental College Riphah International University Peshawar, Pakistan.

CONTRIBUTION

helped in the conceptual design of the study, edited the manuscript, and gave final approval of the manuscript.

Uzma Bibi, Department of gender studies Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad

contribution

did transcription of data and literature review