Paper by Brooke Peterson Gabster, Kim van Daalen, Roopa Dhatt and Michele Barry. The Lancet.
June 18, 2020.
Science and innovation benefit from diversity. However, as the global community fights COVID-19, the productivity and scientific output of female academics are disproportionately affected, leading to loss of women's scientific expertise from the public realm.
Women comprise 70% of the global health workforce and more than 50% of medical graduates in many countries. Despite this, women and gender minorities remain underrepresented in medical leadership. Only 22% of full professors in American medical schools and 23% in Europe are women. Women of colour are particularly underrepresented; only 0.5% of full professors in American medical schools are Black women. Academic publishing is essential to career advancement. Women's first authorship in major medical journals has increased from 27% to 37% (1994–2014). Yet, COVID-19 is threatening progress by amplifying existing gender disparities.
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