Advancing women, parity, and gender equity

Abstract

For centuries, society has called out for transformations to lift all of its members. While it may seem ordinary in our time for women to be dentists or dental educators, the path was neither always easy, nor has true equity been achieved. The modern transformation of dental education and dentistry creates the need for leaders to propose and develop concrete initiatives to advance the profession and benefit society. Areas to address that could lead to increased equity for women include career advancement, leadership opportunities, compensation, career satisfaction, research, and scholarly activity. Our analysis demonstrates that even though the number of full‐time female faculty has increased during recent years, most positions (59.5%) at dental schools in the US are held by men (2018–2019). Males were also compensated at higher rates than their female counterparts, and female deans made 7% less in total compensation. Because disparities are evident in pay and academic pathways, new directions and strategies must be employed to ensure parity and gender equity. Facilitating the progress of women in organized dentistry requires efforts of dental academic institutions to invest resources and provide nurturing environments that promote professional performances and leadership skills for women, with these being priorities–considering the current trends that anticipate increased numbers of women in dental academia. All dentists bring their own experiences to the profession, making for rich depth and diversity. As a collective voice, we have a bright future. We can and will move forward together.

Women in dental education and their desire to lead: A follow‐up

“…Various studies have explored gender disparities in academic dentistry and have identified that women faculty experience reduced academic productivity, delays in promotion, and poor retention-but, why? [4][5][6][7][8] This discussion will focus on elevating the perspectives and lived experiences shared by women dental faculty in this study to better understand the drivers of gender inequities in dental education. Further, recommendations from women dental academics will be shared to highlight actionable ways in which barriers to career advancement can be dismantled and the aspirations of women in academic dentistry can be better supported.…”

Dentistry and Gender Gap: An Overview of the Italian Situation

“…As has been widely reported, this might be due to a lack of women practicing dentistry, who can also serve as role models for the future generation. Indeed, it is reported that when a woman takes on a leadership position in dentistry, she has less probability of being married or with children [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. This scenario frightens new generations of young women who see themselves as forced to choose between a career or family, which is a scenario that young men do not perceive [ 26 ].…”

Gender trends in dentistry: Dental faculty and academic leadership

“…Recent data indicate that the percentage of women dental school graduates has slightly increased from 46% to 50.6% between 2009 and 2019 12 . Additionally, between 2010 and 2020, the percentage of women in the dental workforce increased from 24.1% to 34.5% 12 .…”

“…Recent data indicate that the percentage of women dental school graduates has slightly increased from 46% to 50.6% between 2009 and 2019 12 . Additionally, between 2010 and 2020, the percentage of women in the dental workforce increased from 24.1% to 34.5% 12 . Correspondingly, 2019 saw a rise in woman representation in dental academia to 37% in dental school and 85% in allied‐dental‐program faculty 12 .…”

“…12 Additionally, between 2010 and 2020, the percentage of women in the dental workforce increased from 24.1% to 34.5%. 12 Correspondingly, 2019 saw a rise in woman representation in dental academia to 37% in dental school and 85% in allied-dental-program faculty. 12 However, the question of whether the recent climb in female enrollment and academic involvement is reflected in institutional leadership remains to be answered.…”