Women Empowerment in Medical Imaging and Radiology: Status and Challenges

Since the pandemics beginning, there have been significant setbacks in social and economic inclusion of women. The resistance by public can be quite challenging too due to different reasons, such as religious beliefs or the dominance of custom and traditions creating a consistency in leadership perceptions and prototypes of leaders. The Saudi vision unleashed the exacerbated efforts to increase women involvement in the workforce and empower them in leadership roles. Yet the overall representation of women in leadership positions in health and academe in Saudi Arabia remains low compared to other countries. Exploring women status in medical imaging and the risks of reversals after the pandemic became necessary. An online questionnaire was distributed to female workers in both health and academic institutions in the field of medical imaging from December 31, 2021 to October 10, 2022. A total of 250 responses were received, and only 240 females consented and met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Results show that Saudi women still face the glass ceiling when it comes to administrative roles even though they have high level of self-esteem and efficacy along with the support from the Saudi government by fair wages compared to male counterparts. However, institutions imposed largely more constraints on women, creating difficult environment for gender diversity in work culture such as breastfeeding hour, rest during working hours, leave for accompanying family member in sickness or hospitalization such as children, sick leaves during pregnancy or monthly period. In a remarkably short span of time, the current Saudi government has undertaken commendable initiatives to empower women, achieving their predetermined targets with notable success. Despite that, there are many familial and cultural challenges that hinder them from leading positions. The perceived efficacy of women leaders and the disparities in their leadership philosophies are still up for research.