The profile of female anaesthesiologists in South Africa: past and present

Background: A trend of feminisation of medicine has been observed over the years. Feminisation of medicine is important as it ensures that both male and female doctors have equal opportunity to deliver patient care. In South Africa, the female profile in anaesthesiology is not known. This study aims to describe the past and present profiles of female anaesthesiologists in South Africa from 1960–2019. Methods: Part I of this study retrospectively determined the number of females who qualified as fellows from the College of Anaesthetists of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), as well as leadership roles held by female anaesthesiologists in the CMSA and the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) and the number of female anaesthesiologists head of departments during the study period. Part II was an online, anonymous cross-sectional survey sent to female anaesthesiologists who had full membership with SASA, determining their profile and the factors influencing career progression. Results: Of the 593 female anaesthesiologists who qualified from the CMSA, 11.3% qualified with a Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists from 1960–1993 and 88.7% with a Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists from 1994–2019. Between 2010 and 2019, 50.6% of registrars who qualified were female. From the inception of the CMSA, SASA and the university departments of anaesthesiology, female anaesthesiologists have held limited leadership positions. Only 34.1% of female anaesthesiologists had research publications. The majority (84.3%) of female anaesthesiologists were satisfied with their career choice. A dichotomy in the factors influencing career progression was reported. In this study, commonly described factors such as family responsibilities and motherhood, were seen as a positive rather than a negative influence on career progression. Conclusion: This study describes the past and present profile of female anaesthesiologists in South Africa. There is a notable increase in female anaesthesiologists qualifying from 1960–2019, in keeping with the feminisation of medicine. However, career progression among female anaesthesiologists, especially in leadership, remains limited. © 2023 The Author(s).