International consensus statement on challenges for women in cardiovascular practice and research in the COVID-19 era

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2022Author
Kemaloglu Oz, TugbaCader, F. Aaysha
Dakhil, Zainab A.
Parapid, Biljana
Kadavath, Sabeeda
Bond, Rachel
Chieffo, Alaide
Gimelli, Alessia
Mihailidou, Anastasia S.
Ramu, Bhavadharini
Cavarretta, Elena
Michos, Erin D.
Kaya, Esra
Buchanan, Louise
Patil, Mansi
Aste, Milena
Alasnag, Mirvat
Babazade, Nigar
Burgess, Sonya
Manzo-Silberman, Stephane
Paradies, Valeria
Thamman, Ritu
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Kemaloglu Oz T, Cader FA, Dakhil ZA, Parapid B, Kadavath S, Bond R, Chieffo A, Gimelli A, Mihailidou AS, Ramu B, Cavarretta E, Michos ED, Kaya E, Buchanan L, Patil M, Aste M, Alasnag M, Babazade N, Burgess S, Manzo-Silberman S, Paradies V, Thamman R. International consensus statement on challenges for women in cardiovascular practice and research in the COVID-19 era. Minerva Cardiol Angiol. 2022 Feb 25. doi: 10.23736/S2724-5683.22.05935-X. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35212510.Abstract
The challenges to academic and professional development and career advancement of women in cardiology (WIC), imposed by the pandemic, not only impinge the female cardiologists' "leaky pipeline" but also make the "leakiness" more obvious. This consensus document aims to highlight the pandemic challenges WIC face, raise awareness of the gender equity gap, and propose mitigating actionable solutions derived from the data and experiences of an international group of female cardiovascular clinicians and researchers. This changing landscape has led to the need for highly specialized cardiologists who may have additional training in critical care, imaging, advanced heart failure, or interventional cardiology. Although women account for most medical school graduates, the number of WIC, particularly in mentioned sub-specialties, remains low. Moreover, women have been more affected by systemic issues within these challenging work environments, limiting their professional progression, career advancement, and economic potential. Therefore, it is imperative that tangible action points be noted and undertaken to ensure the representation of women in leadership, advocacy, and decision-making, and increase diversity in academia. Strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic need to be taken during this COVID-19 pandemic to ensure WIC have a place in the field of Cardiology.