Ratio of Women Doctors Soars in the Last Five Years|台灣女醫師崛起 每5名西醫1女性

More and more female doctors are practicing in Taiwan. In the last five years, the number of newly licensed women doctors surpassed male doctors. Currently, 20 percent of doctors are women. The Taiwan Medical Women's Association says the rise in female doctors may be due to more educational opportunities but gender discrimination in the field is still a major problem. Guo An-ni is an OB-GYN at a large hospital. Her clinic hours start in the morning and she also performs C-sections from time to time. Because she works around the clock, she has little time to spend with her family and children. This situation is not uncommon and one of the reasons why many women doctors put off marriage. We have to be in school longer and then complete our residency. We have long hours and work shift-based schedules. So, many people are unable to have children no matter how much they may want them. According to statistics, women doctors account for 20 percent of all doctors in western medicine in the last five years. The Taiwan Medical Women's Association says this may be because girls have more educational opportunities now and many people prefer women doctors. However, gender inequality remains a problem in the medical field. Some women doctors are afraid to get pregnant because of their work schedules, while others face discrimination when they are promoted. Hospitals with more women doctors don't want their schedules to be affected by pregnancy. I would recommend hiring more (doctors). Of course, this would raise operating costs. The association says people should be encouraged to have children given Taiwan's low birth rate, and hospitals should offer equal opportunities to women doctors. In addition, the Tsai administration needs to create a women-friendly workplace environment.