Here is a report from a study I collaborated on, led by the amazing Reshma Jagsi, a physician at the University of Michigan. It reveals just how common it is for female academic physicians to report experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. Important but disturbing news:
“This is a sobering reminder that our society has a long way to go before we achieve gender equity,” says study author Reshma Jagsi, M.D., D.Phil., associate professor and deputy chair of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Researchers surveyed 1,066 men and women who had received a career development award between 2006-2009 from the National Institutes of Health. These awards are given to promising physician-scientists to develop their career as independent investigators. The physicians are now mid-career; average age when surveyed was 43.
Physicians were asked a number of questions about their career experiences, including questions about gender bias, gender advantage and sexual harassment.
Women were more likely than men to report both perceptions and experiences with gender bias: 70 percent of women vs. 22 percent of men perceived gender bias, and 66 percent of women vs. 10 percent of men said they experienced gender bias.
In addition, 30 percent of women compared to 4 percent of men said they had experienced sexual harassment in their professional careers.
To read the rest of this article, please visit Science Daily.