Perception of Medical Students Regarding Gender Discrimination in Their Learning Environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51273/esc24.25132022Keywords:
Gender discrimination, Gender disparity, Gender inequalityAbstract
Objective: To evaluate perception of gender discrimination among students in medical colleges.
Methods and Materials: A descriptive study was conducted among 316 students in one public and one private
medical college of Lahore from December 2023 to March 2024 through a self-administered questionnaire. Associations were determined between background variables and gender discrimination responses using chi-
square test of independence with p-value <0.05.SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis.
Results: In our study female students voiced higher rates of dissatisfaction with their medical college experiencing
unequal treatment in both lectures (p = 0.001) and in wards (p = 0.007).Female students perceived that there is
disadvantage associated with having a child during education (p = 0.038) and expressed greater concerns
about parenting during medical studies (p = 0.038). They reported getting lesser opportunities for advancement
like applying for doctoral thesis as compared to male students. Both genders felt that females are given preferences in getting scholarships.
Conclusion: Gender disparities persist in medical college experiences, with female students reporting higher
dissatisfaction, fewer opportunities, and unequal treatment. Initiatives are needed to address these disparities
and promote gender equality in medical education.
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