Conexiant
Login
  • Corneal Physician
  • Glaucoma Physician
  • New Retinal Physician
  • Ophthalmology Management
  • Ophthalmic Professional
  • Presbyopia Physician
  • Retinal Physician
The Ophthalmologist
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Latest
    • Insights
    • Case Studies
    • Opinion & Personal Narratives
    • Research & Innovations
    • Product Profiles

    Featured Topics

    • Anterior Segment
    • Glaucoma
    • Retina

    Issues

    • Latest Issue
    • Archive
  • Subspecialties
    • Cataract
    • Cornea
    • Glaucoma
    • Neuro-ophthalmology
    • Oculoplastics
    • Pediatric
    • Retina
  • Business

    Business & Profession

    • Professional Development
    • Business and Entrepreneurship
    • Practice Management
    • Health Economics & Policy
  • Training & Education

    Career Development

    • Professional Development
    • Career Pathways

    Events

    • Webinars
    • Live Events
  • Events
    • Live Events
    • Webinars
  • Community

    People & Profiles

    • Power List
    • Voices in the Community
    • Authors & Contributors
  • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
Subscribe
Subscribe

False

Advertisement
The Ophthalmologist / Issues / 2018 / Oct / Women in Vision
Professional Development

Women in Vision

By Phoebe Harkin 10/24/2018 1 min read

Share

In February, we received an email from Rebecca Adams, a reader in Florida. She asked a simple question: “Where are the women?” Her comment was about an article we wrote called ‘Ophthalmologists in the Outside World’, following two male physicians after retirement. She had a point. The lives of female ophthalmologists are not mentioned nearly as much as those of their male counterparts, and sometimes not at all. And that needs to change. There are more women working in ophthalmology than ever before, yet women remain underrepresented in executive-level jobs and faculty positions. According to statistics provided in The Lancet, women in STEM in general have been short-changed in terms of promotions, higher pay and recognition awards (1), despite making up 54.4 percent of the ophthalmic workforce (2). Earlier this year, the Association of Optometrists (AOP) covered the gender pay gap in the optical sector. It found women were paid between 7.9 percent and 22 percent less per hour than men. Even Moorfields Eye Hospital, one of ophthalmology’s leading institutions, had not achieved gender parity – while women represent  51 percent of their highest paid positions, they also represent  71 percent of their lowest paid positions (3). As a publication, we have a responsibility to explore the issues faced by the women in our field, now more than ever. In this feature, we ask 10 ophthalmologists to tell us what is really going on in vision science today. Though they may come from a variety of backgrounds, and might have encountered different hurdles along the way, they all agree on one thing: we need to celebrate how far women have come – but we also need to be honest about how far there is to go.

Voices of Vision Science
Fighting the System from Within
Doctor and Mother
The Social Network

References

  1. The Lancet, “Year of reckoning for women in science”, 391-513 (2018). PMID: 29617222. NHS, “General Ophthalmic Workforce Statistics”, (2018). Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y8k87py6. Accessed September 11, 2018. Optometry Today, “Mind the gap”, (2018). Available at: https://tinyurl.com/yand6w6h. Accessed September 11, 2018.

About the Author(s)

Phoebe Harkin

I’ve always loved telling stories. So much so, I decided to make a job of it. I finished a Masters in Magazine Journalism and spent three years working as a creative copywriter before itchy feet sent me (back)packing. It took seven months and 13 countries, but I’m now happily settled on The Ophthalmologist, where I’m busy getting stuck into all things eyeballs.

More Articles by Phoebe Harkin

Related Content

Newsletters

Receive the latest Ophthalmology news, personalities, education, and career development – weekly to your inbox.

Newsletter Signup Image

False

Advertisement

False

Advertisement

Explore More in Ophthalmology

Dive deeper into the world of Ophthalmology. Explore the latest articles, case studies, expert insights, and groundbreaking research.

False

Advertisement
The Ophthalmologist
Subscribe

About

  • About Us
  • Work at Conexiant Europe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 Texere Publishing Limited (trading as Conexiant), with registered number 08113419 whose registered office is at Booths No. 1, Booths Park, Chelford Road, Knutsford, England, WA16 8GS.

Disclaimer

The Ophthalmologist website is intended solely for the eyes of healthcare professionals. Please confirm below: