ONE of the authors of a landmark survey on sexual harassment, assault and rape of women working in surgery is to speak at a conference in Tunbridge Wells on September 28-29.
Professor Carrie Newlands, of the School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, was one of 10 authors of a study, which combined a survey of 1,704 surgical staff – 51.5 per cent women – with NHS workforce data to examine experiences of sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape over the past five years.
Women in the surgical workforce were disproportionately affected by “sexual misconduct”, according to the study, published in the British Journal of Surgery last week as the Times went to press.
It found that 29.9 per cent of women respondents had been sexually assaulted, versus 6.9 per cent of men.
Meanwhile, 10.9 per cent of women questioned had experienced forced physical contact for career opportunities (a form of sexual assault) versus 0.7 per cent of men.
Professor Newlands’ conference presentation, “Sexual Misconduct in Surgery” has been sold out since September 2.
Dr Kate Stannard, co-founder of the Women In Medicine International Network (WIMIN) told the Times: “WIMIN have known about this investigation for over a year and we invited Prof Carrie Newlands to come and speak about it at our conference as we knew it would be published just before our event.
“WIMIN have several aims: Providing a platform for women in medicine to be heard and to address difficult issues such as this!
“We also support women doctors in training and a charity, Advocacy for Social Inclusion and Girls’ Education (ASIGE), that helps women in the most marginalised communities in Northern Ghana through sexual health measures, education and employment.”
See WIMIN on Twitter/ X at @WIMIN _UK, instagram @wimin.uk and wimin.org
