Exploring Gender Based Challenges Faced By Female Healthcare Professionals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61166/clean.v3i1.32Keywords:
Gender inequality, Female healthcare professionals, Workplace challenges, Health system barriersAbstract
Female healthcare professionals continue to face gender-based challenges. These issues not only affect their professional growth and well-being but also have broader implications for healthcare quality and workforce sustainability. The present qualitative study aimed to explore gender-based challenges faced by female healthcare professionals in Pakistan and their impact on career progression and workplace experiences. A purposive sample of seven female healthcare professionals aged 25–40 years, working in various healthcare settings including hospitals and private clinics, was selected. Data was collected through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis, involving line-by-line coding followed by the development of themes. Findings revealed five major themes: uncomfortable workplace environment, injustice, gender inequality, male dominancy, and overcompensation. The study concludes that gender-based challenges significantly affect the professional experiences and career progression of female healthcare professionals in Pakistan. Addressing these issues through organizational policies and gender equity initiatives is essential to create a supportive and inclusive work environment.
References
Admin, O. (2020). Barriers Faced by Female Doctors in Career Development at King Edward Medical University. Asian Journal of Allied Health Sciences (AJAHS), 22–27. https://doi.org/10.52229/ajahs.v3i4.351
Ali, T. S., Ali, S. S., Nadeem, S., Memon, Z., Soofi, S., Madhani, F., Karim, Y., Mohammad, S., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2022). Perpetuation of gender discrimination in Pakistani society: results from a scoping review and qualitative study conducted in three provinces of Pakistan. BMC Women’s Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-02011-6
Ali, W., Ishaque, M. F., Afzal, S., & Yasin, G. (2013). Cultural barriers in women empowerment A sociological analysis of Multan, Pakistan. European Journal of Social Sciences, 18, 147 -155. References - Scientific Research Publishing. Scirp.org. https://www.scirp.org/(S(351jmbntvnsjt1aadkposzje))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=855588
American Psychological Association. (n.d.-a). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Dictionary.apa.org. https://dictionary.apa.org/gender-psychology
American Psychological Association. (n.d.-b). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Dictionary.apa.org. https://dictionary.apa.org/challenge
Babcock, L., Recalde, M. P., Vesterlund, L., & Weingart, L. (2017). Gender Differences in Accepting and Receiving Requests for Tasks with Low Promotability. American Economic Review, 107(3), 714–747. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20141734
Barnes, K. L., McGuire, L., Dunivan, G., Sussman, A. L., & McKee, R. (2019). Gender Bias Experiences of Female Surgical Trainees. Journal of Surgical Education, 76(6), e1–e14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2019.07.02
Channar, Z. A., Abbassi, Z., & Ujan, I. A. (2011). A Service of zbw Leibniz-Information Zentrum Wirt Schaft Leibniz Information Centre for Economics www.econstor.eu Gender Discrimination in Workforce and its Impact on the Employees. PJCSS) Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 5(1), 177–191. https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/188023/1/pjcss053.pdf
Dahal, P., Joshi, S. K., & Swahnberg, K. (2022). A qualitative study on gender inequality and gender- based violence in Nepal. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14389-x
Durrani, S. F., & Mufaddal, Z. (2025). Gender bias faced by medical students during undergraduate medical education in Urban Private medical colleges in Pakistan. BMC Medical Education, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07653-2
Fnais, N., Soobiah, C., Chen, M. H., Lillie, E., Perrier, L., Tashkhandi, M., Straus, S. E., Mamdani, M., Al-Omran, M., & Tricco, A. C. (2014). Harassment and Discrimination in Medical Training. Academic Medicine, 89(5), 817–827. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000000200
Hashmi, A. M., Rehman, A., Butt, Z., Aftab, M. A., Shahid, A., & Khan, S. A. (2013). Gender discrimination among medical students in Pakistan: A cross sectional survey. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 29(2). https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.292.3256
Hennein, R., Gorman, H., Chung, V., & Lowe, S. R. (2023). Gender discrimination among women healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a mixed methods study. PLOS ONE, 18(2), e0281367. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281367
Iqbal, Y., Khan, W., & Mooghal, M. (2022). Impediment to Leadership Opportunities for Female Doctors – Gender Disparity in Pakistani Healthcare System –SHORT REPORT. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, Volume 13, 213–215. https://doi.org/10.2147/amep.s348255
Janjua, M., Inam, H., Martins, R., Zahid, N., Sattar, A., Khan, S., Khan, S., Darbar, A., Faruqui, N., Akram, S., Enam, A., Haider, A., & Malik, M. (2020). Gender discrimination against female surgeons: A cross-sectional study in a lower-middle-income country. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 57, 157–162. https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_surg_surg/854/
Khan, K. I., Jamil, B., Muhammad, M., Mohsin, S., Khan, A. H., & Javed, M. Q. (2025). Gender inequality in healthcare leadership: the challenges women face in breaking through the glass ceiling. BMC Health Services Research, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12347-y
Malik, M. A., Inam, H., Martins, R. S., Janjua, M. B. N., Zahid, N., Khan, S., Sattar, A. K., Khan, S., Haider, A. H., & Enam, S. A. (2021). Workplace mistreatment and mental health in female surgeons in Pakistan. BJS Open, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsopen/zrab041
Noor, A. A., Shadab, W., & Waqqar, S. (2021). Challenges Faced by Lady Surgeons during Professional Progress in Pakistan. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, 31(9), 1123–1125. https://doi.org/10.29271/jcpsp.2021.09.1123
Okoshi, K., Nomura, K., Fukami, K., Tomizawa, Y., Kobayashi, K., Kinoshita, K., & Sakai, Y. (2014). Gender Inequality in Career Advancement for Females in Japanese Academic Surgery. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, 234(3), 221–227. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.234.221
Santucci, C., Beatriz González López-Valcarcel, Avendaño-Solá, C., Mari Carmen Bautista, Carmen Gallardo Pino, Lourdes Lledó García, Martín-Perez, E., & Pilar Garrido López. (2023). Gender Inequality in the Medical Profession: the Women Doctors in Spain (Womeds) Study. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2328710/v1
Sarhad, J., & Agric. (2011). IMPACT OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION ON GENDER
DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION.27(2).https://www.aup.edu.pk/sj_pdf/27 IMPACTOFGENDERDISCRIMINATIONONGENDER.pdf
Soken-Huberty, E. (2023, January 12). What is Gender Discrimination? Human Rights Careers. https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/what-is-gender-discrimination/
United Nations. (2009). Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Un.org. https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/
Vigod, S. N., & Rochon, P. A. (2020). The Impact of Gender Discrimination on a Woman’s Mental Health. EClinicalMedicine, 20(100311), 100311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100311
World Health Organization. (2019). Gender and health. World Health Organization; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender#tab=tab_1
Zulfiqar, K., Khan, N. U. S., Shoaib, R. M., & Qamar, K. (2017). WORKPLACE STRESSORS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON HEALTH OF MID-CAREER FEMALE DOCTORS OF A SEMI
GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL. Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal, 67(4), 554–559. https://www.pafmj.org/index.php/PAFMJ/article/view/680
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Eman Sarwar, Sania Arshad, Rameen Rehman, Sana Arshad
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Politeknik Kesehatan KMC Kuningan