A Seven-Decade Analysis: What Does the Gender Breakdown of Award Recipients in the All India Ophthalmological Society Reveal?

Introduction Professional awards and honors given by the medical societies help their members to boost their academic excellence and encourage leadership opportunities. The present study aimed to analyze the gender distribution of award recipients, identify any existing gender disparities, and assess factors influencing recognition in the field of ophthalmology. Methods This was an observational study with data extracted from the publicly available All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) website. Seventy-three years of data from the award recipients were reviewed. Individuals' gender was determined based on the first name and confirmed through internet searches of pronoun descriptors from professional websites. Key outcome measures were the gender distribution by year (1949-2022), category (achievement, scientific investigation/research, contribution to society/leadership, or lifetime achievement), and nomination type (self or society). Comparisons were made using Fisher's exact and chi-square tests when appropriate, with statistical significance set at a two-tailed P-value of <0.05. Results Of 452 award recipients across 31 AIOS award categories between 1949 and 2022, 323 recipients (71.5%) were men and 129 (28.5%) were women. Men received 96.7%, 78.6%, and 65.2% of awards in the contribution to society/leadership, achievement, and scientific investigation/research category, respectively, highlighting a significant underrepresentation of women in award distribution. Analysis of factors influencing gender distribution revealed that the award year, nomination type, and award category significantly impacted gender representation. Notably, fewer women were awarded before the start of the 21st century, and self-nominated candidates were predominantly skewed towards male recipients. Conclusion This study reveals significant gender disparities in award distribution within the Indian Ophthalmological Society. However, an increase in the proportion of female awardees over the years suggests a positive trend towards inclusivity.