More than 40% of Brazilian women doctors have suffered moral harassment, according to research

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Study Challenges Women Doctors indicates that 1/3 of professionals have already suffered prejudice from patients just because they are women

Manaus (AM) — In the last decade, the number of female doctors almost doubled in Brazil, reaching 260 thousand. Even with greater representation, the careers of these professionals are still marked by a series of challenges, such as harassment, prejudice and lower pay. This is what the study developed by the Research Center, Afya’s research center, the largest education and solutions hub for doctors in Brazil, reveals.

The results show that the points considered most detrimental to professional growth are, firstly, with 70% of responses, the overload that exists in aligning professional life with personal life. The lack of time to take care of yourself, the difficulty in being a mother or thinking about having children in line with your day-to-day professional life were topics that were also among the most mentioned points.

Moral harassment, whether by patients and their relatives or by colleagues and superiors in the workplace, is also a reality for around 40% of the doctors who responded to the survey. In anonymous testimonies, cases were reported that exemplify reality.

“In a circle of doctors, as I was the only woman, when I expressed my point of view, I was ridiculed and disdained by all of them”,

says a doctor.

Distrust in the diagnosis coming from a female medical professional also occurs according to 36% of respondents. “I visit as an intensivist and they always ask what time the doctor comes by. I also studied orthopedics, but I dropped out due to moral harassment” reports one of the doctors who responded to the survey.

A woman’s place is in whatever specialty she wants

Since childhood, Lilian Meneguzzo had the desire to help people and, in 2018, entered the medical school at the Centro Universitário de Pato Branco (Unidep). During her undergraduate studies, she had the opportunity to undertake internships in different areas, but it was in orthopedics that she found her true passion.

In 2023, she became the first female resident in orthopedics at Hospital Policlínica Pato Branco. Motivated by the desire to contribute to the community and inspired by her bosses, she faces the challenges of her specialty with enthusiasm and determination.

“There are always prejudices, but I don’t care about that. The important thing is that I am happy in the specialty I chose”, she comments.

Challenges Women Doctors

The nationwide study was carried out in February 2024, with doctors using Afya solutions aged between 20 and 59 years old. The research is quantitative and applied through a structured questionnaire, sent via Afya’s digital channels.

With 254 samples, the majority of respondents are medical specialists (57%), 32% of whom are generalists (have not yet started a specialization or are in postgraduate studies) and 11% are in residency. 36% of the women who responded are mothers and all have at least 3 years of training.

*With information from consultancy

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