[Male-female ratio in Dutch academic psychiatry]

Background   Psychiatry is at the forefront of the emancipation of women as medical specialists. The share of women in the training of psychiatrists is high. In the labor market of the academia, however, there are indications of structural inequality. At university medical centers in the Netherlands 28% of the professors are female. How are women represented in the higher positions in academia in psychiatry? Aim   To explore how women are represented in the higher positions in psychiatric academia and what interventions can lead to a more equal labor market. Method   Information was obtained through universities and educational institutions on the current proportion of women in various positions in academic psychiatry. By searching the literature, interventions that can lead to a more equal labor market were investigated. Results   In psychiatry departments in the Netherlands 24% of the professors and 33% of the directors of psychiatric residency are female. Women are with 22% also a minority on editorial boards of scientific journals. Conclusion   In the higher academic positions in psychiatry, there is an unequal gender distribution. Culture change in combinations with policy changes can lead to a more equal labor market.