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Male doctors who overestimate female representation in the medical profession are also less likely to support gender-equality initiatives, reveals new .

The study from researchers at and universities in the United Kingdom and surveyed 425 UK doctors. Doctors were asked to estimate the proportion of women in various roles in medicine, and about their levels of support for gender-equality initiatives.

Both male and female doctors consistently overestimated the proportion of women in a wide range of roles and areas within medicine.

However, a difference emerged in the second part of the survey: while women who overestimated female representation still supported gender-equality initiatives, men who made this mistake showed significantly lower support.

The researchers warn these attitudes could hamper progress on gender equality in the medical profession.

Professor Michelle Ryan, a co-author of the study and Director of the ANU Global Institute for Women鈥檚 Leadership, said the findings offered clear lessons for Australia.

鈥淕ender equity in Australian medicine and medical leadership has sadly not been achieved. Research shows that despite there being gender parity in Australian medical schools for decades, women only represent 28% of medical deans and a paltry 12.5% of hospital chief executives,鈥� Professor Ryan said.

鈥淎mid ongoing efforts to promote gender equality in the medical field, and more broadly, this research illustrates that it is important not only to consider the true representation of women but also other people鈥檚 perceptions of women鈥檚 representation.

鈥淲hile we are making inroads toward gender equality, premature beliefs about parity in representation may have the unintended consequence of stymieing the progress we are making. We need to be realistic about where we are, and how much there is still to do.鈥�

In the UK there are now more female than male GPs, and more than two-thirds of GP trainees are women. Meanwhile, some specialisms remain dominated by men. For example, just 13% of surgical consultants are female.

鈥淲hile progress has been made in gender representation in the medical field, our research illustrates that there are still barriers to gender equality,鈥� Dr Christopher Begeny, of the University of Exeter, said.

鈥淚t is those individuals聽鈥� particularly men聽鈥� who overestimate the true progress in women鈥檚 representation who are at highest risk of undermining it.

鈥淢ale doctors routinely overestimated female representation and, being blind to this fact, they are then less willing than others to support gender-equality initiatives.

鈥淭hese misperceptions can have insidious consequences, potentially undermining or even reversing the true progress made toward gender equality.

鈥淲hen people 鈥榤ove on鈥� from gender equality concerns, it can make them more prone to exhibit bias against women.鈥�

The study鈥檚 participants, 47% of them female, included consultants, GPs and medical trainees. They were asked to estimate female representation in general practice, medical specialties and surgical specialties before indicating their support for gender-equality initiatives such as the General Medical Council鈥檚 Gender Equality Scheme, and Women in Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons.

Among male and female respondents who correctly estimated female representation, the gap between them in their support for gender-equality initiatives was small, with men鈥檚 support nominally lower than women鈥檚 support.

Yet among those who overestimated female representation by just 10%, that gender gap grew by 150%聽鈥� reflecting a significant drop in support among male doctors. Women鈥檚 support remained steady.

The study,聽published in BMJ Open, did not assess why most doctors overestimated female representation, but this is possibly due to rising female representation聽鈥� and focus on this issue聽鈥� in recent years.

The researchers suggest methods for correcting common misperceptions among doctors, including information campaigns led by supervisors, and 鈥榓ffirmation鈥� training to address the concerns of any male doctors who perceive rising female representation as a threat.

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