Ghimire Animesh, Sharma Neupane Mamata
Sustainable Prosperity Initiative Nepal, Thulo Kharibot, Baneshwor-31, Bhimsengola, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Department of Nursing, Department of Public Health, Chitwan Medical College, Bharatpur- 5, Kailashnagar, Chitwan, Nepal.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Apr 26;25(1):1555. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22700-9.
Achieving gender equality in education is crucial for promoting social equity, driving economic growth, and improving overall population health. In Nepal, deeply rooted socio-cultural norms, economic disparities, and patriarchal values greatly impact women's access to educational opportunities, particularly in the field of medicine. Although there has been an increase in female enrollment in medical programs, pervasive biases, gendered expectations, and informal cultural scripts-often referred to as the "hidden curriculum"-continue to influence their aspirations, specialty choices, and professional journeys. Understanding these dynamics is vital for ensuring women's full engagement in the medical workforce.
This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with fifteen final-year female undergraduate medical students at a private medical college in Bharatpur, Nepal. Thematic analysis was employed to identify and interpret the key themes.
Five key themes emerged: (1) The Marriage Mandate: Negotiating Family, Tradition, and Professional Aspirations; (2) The Gendered Clinic: Unveiling Bias in Medical Education and Practice; (3) Investing in Daughters, Expecting Returns: The Gendered Economics of Medical Education; (4) Transnational Aspirations: Negotiating Mobility, Marriage, and Medical Careers and (5) Claiming Space: Agency, Resistance, and Redefining Success in the Medical Profession.
The pervasive "hidden curriculum" of gendered barriers persists despite policy efforts, constitutional safeguards, and increasing female representation in medical schools. These challenges, if unaddressed, risk perpetuating a cycle of underutilizing women's talents, limiting the diversity of the healthcare workforce, and hindering progress toward achieving equitable health outcomes. The findings underscore the urgent need for gender-transformative approaches that acknowledge and actively dismantle these deeply rooted biases at institutional, community, and policy levels. These approaches should focus on creating supportive structures that empower women to fully contribute to the medical profession.
Female medical graduates encounter significant obstacles, including entrenched patriarchal norms, systemic inequalities, and a pervasive "hidden curriculum" of biases. However, they demonstrate remarkable resilience and determination in challenging stereotypes, redefining success, and reimaging their professional identities. Their experiences align with global efforts toward gender parity in education and employment. Equitable representation of women in the medical workforce is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity for advancing public health, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting social justice.
Not applicable.
在教育领域实现性别平等对于促进社会公平、推动经济增长以及改善总体人口健康至关重要。在尼泊尔，根深蒂固的社会文化规范、经济差距和父权价值观极大地影响了女性获得教育机会，尤其是在医学领域。尽管医学专业的女性入学人数有所增加，但普遍存在的偏见、性别期望以及非正式的文化脚本（通常被称为“隐性课程”）继续影响着她们的志向、专业选择和职业发展道路。了解这些动态对于确保女性充分参与医疗劳动力队伍至关重要。
这项定性研究对尼泊尔巴拉特普尔一所私立医学院的15名本科最后一年的女性医学生进行了半结构化访谈。采用主题分析来识别和解释关键主题。
出现了五个关键主题：（1）婚姻要求：协商家庭、传统和职业志向；（2）性别化的诊所：揭示医学教育和实践中的偏见；（3）投资女儿，期待回报：医学教育中的性别经济学；（4）跨国志向：协商流动性、婚姻和医学职业；（5）争取空间：能动性、抵抗以及重新定义医学职业中的成功。
尽管有政策努力、宪法保障以及医学院校中女性代表人数的增加，但普遍存在的性别障碍“隐性课程”依然存在。如果这些挑战得不到解决，就有可能使女性人才未得到充分利用、医疗劳动力队伍缺乏多样性以及在实现公平健康结果方面进展受阻的循环持续下去。研究结果强调迫切需要采取性别变革方法，在机构、社区和政策层面承认并积极消除这些根深蒂固的偏见。这些方法应侧重于建立支持性结构，使女性能够充分为医学职业做出贡献。
女性医学毕业生面临重大障碍，包括根深蒂固的父权规范、系统性不平等以及普遍存在的偏见“隐性课程”。然而，她们在挑战刻板印象、重新定义成功以及重塑职业身份方面表现出了非凡的适应力和决心。她们的经历与全球在教育和就业方面实现性别平等的努力相一致。女性在医疗劳动力队伍中的公平代表不仅是一项道德要求，也是推进公共卫生、加强医疗系统和促进社会正义的战略必要条件。
不适用。
