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The missing doctors — An analysis of educated women and female domesticity in Pakistan

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  • Mariam Mohsin
  • Jawad Syed

Abstract

While the percentage of female students in medical schools in Pakistan is as high as 80–85 per cent, the percentage of female doctors in the medical workforce remains below 50 per cent. Our findings draw on in‐depth interviews with 31 female doctors to show that the reasons behind the gap between female medical students and female medical professionals are multifold and multilayered, ranging from individual reasons to organizational and sociocultural reasons. We use an adapted version of the relational framework developed by Syed and Özbilgin in 2009 to offer a contextual and multilevel understanding of female domesticity in Pakistan. The study suggests that the problem of female doctors dropping out of the medical workforce is a reflection of the interplay of social, organizational and individual factors, which are tied together by social norms. Practical implications suggest that making hospitals and health organizations more inclusive of women and their needs could be a starting point for policymakers to address the gender gap in the medical profession.

Suggested Citation

  • Mariam Mohsin & Jawad Syed, 2020. "The missing doctors — An analysis of educated women and female domesticity in Pakistan," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 1077-1102, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:27:y:2020:i:6:p:1077-1102
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12444
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ayesha Masood, 2019. "Doing gender, modestly: Conceptualizing workplace experiences of Pakistani women doctors," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 214-228, March.
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    4. Jasmin Mirza, 1999. "Accommodating Purdah to the Workplace: Gender Relations in the Office Sector in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 38(2), pages 187-206.
    5. Mathias Wullum Nielsen, 2017. "Reasons for Leaving the Academy: a Case Study on the ‘Opt Out’ Phenomenon among Younger Female Researchers," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 134-155, March.
    6. Khurshid, Ayesha, 2016. "Domesticated gender (in) equality: Women’s education & gender relations among rural communities in Pakistan," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 43-50.
    7. Faiza Ali & Jawad Syed, 2017. "From Rhetoric to Reality: a Multilevel Analysis of Gender Equality in Pakistani Organizations," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 472-486, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Belinda O'Sullivan & Matthew McGrail & Jennifer May, 2022. "Responsive policies needed to secure rural supply from increasing female doctors: A perspective," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 40-49, January.

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