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. 2018 Sep 21;3(6):e000422.
doi: 10.1136/esmoopen-2018-000422. eCollection 2018.

Gender-related challenges facing oncologists: the results of the ESMO Women for Oncology Committee survey

Susana Banerjee  1 , Urania Dafni  2 , Tamara Allen  3 , Dirk Arnold  4 , Giuseppe Curigliano M.D  5 , Elena Garralda  6 , Marina Chiara Garassino  7 , John Haanen  8 , Eva Hofstädter-Thalmann  9 , Caroline Robert  10 , Cristiana Sessa  11 , Zoi Tsourti  12 , Panagiota Zygoura  12 , Solange Peters  13
Affiliations

Gender-related challenges facing oncologists: the results of the ESMO Women for Oncology Committee survey

Susana Banerjee et al. ESMO Open. .

Abstract

Background: Although women account for a growing proportion of the oncology workforce, there is evidence they are under-represented in leadership roles. To gain further insights into this issue and extend understanding of gender challenges, the European Society for Medical Oncology Women for Oncology (W4O) Committee undertook a survey of female and male oncologists in 2016.

Design: The 2016 W4O questionnaire included questions on (1) Demographics and professional environment, (2) Gender impact on career development, (3) Challenges for career progression and inappropriate behaviour experienced in the workplace, (4) Barriers for gender parity and (5) The gender gap. Between July and September 2016, the online survey was available to male and female clinical and academic oncology healthcare professionals in the EU and internationally.

Results: Responses were analysed from 462 oncologists, of whom 76.7 % were women. Of female respondents, 45.5 % had a managerial or leadership role, compared with 65 % of male respondents (p<0.001). Men were more likely to have leadership roles, even in clinical teams with more women than men. Women respondents were more likely to consider their gender had a major impact on their career than men: 35.9 % vs 20.9 % (p<0.001). The biggest challenge to career progression for women was work and family balance (64.2%). Of female respondents, 14.4 % believed there had been significant or major progress in closing the gender pay gap compared with 39.3 % of men (p<0.001). Of female participants, 37.7 % reported they had encountered unwanted sexual comments by a superior or colleague.

Conclusions: New initiatives are needed to address under-representation of women oncologists in leadership roles, including greater and concrete promotion of work-life balance, development and leadership training for women, and more support for flexible working. The fact that over a third of women in the survey had encountered unwanted sexual comments at work is of great concern and must be urgently addressed.

Keywords: gender; gender bias; medical oncology; workplace.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: DA has received research funding and/or honoraria from Roche, Merck Serono, Bayer Healthcare, Servier, BTG, Terumo, Sanofi Oncology, Eli Lilly and has participated in non-financial roles as ECCO Executive Board member, ECCO Oncopolicy Group member, EORTC Task Force member (Gastrointestinal cancers)—Global PI function with MOLOGEN, IMPALA trial (MGN 1703 as investigative agent). GC has received research funding and/or honoraria from Roche, Novartis, Pfizer and has participated in non-financial roles as a member of Steering Committee in clinical trials, member of data safety monitoring committee for clinical trials. MCG has received research funding and/or honoraria from MSD, BMS, Roche Astra Zeneca, Takeda and Eli Lilly. EG has participated as Advisor for Roche, Neomed Therapeutics and Ellypses Pharma. EH-T is an employee of Janssen, the Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson Europe, and a shareholder of Johnson & Johnson. CR has been a consultant for BMS, Riche, Novartis, Pierre Fabre, MDS and Amgen. CS is a Scientific Consultant for SAKK (Swiss group for cancer research treatment) and has participated in non-financial roles as the ESGO Vice President, Principal Investigator for the Icon 8B Study, EUPATI Switzerland. SP has received research funding and/or honoraria from Genentech/Roche, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, MSD, Merck Serono, BMS, Novartis, Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Amgen, Clovis, Regeneron, Janssen, Takeda and has participated in non-financial roles on the IASLC Board of Directors 2014–2017, SAKK lung group Vice-president, SAMO Vice-president, Froome Past President (2011–2017), ETOP Foundation Council/Scientific coordinator, ESMO president elect 2010–2021, PI ALEX trial, Genentech Steering committee, PI academic trials ETOP, EORTC/SAKK, FMH, IASLC, AACR.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Box plots for distribution (%) of working team dedicated to different fields of work by respondent’s gender (A) and age (B).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Impact of career on daily life.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Impact of personal choices on career.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Barriers to gender parity overall (N=405) and by respondent’s gender (311 women and 94 men).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Agreement with specific generalised statements.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Approaches to addressing gender parity.
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