Institutional Patriarchy, Gender Barriers, and Nigeria's Oral Health Workforce

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Workforce Research
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Gender and sexual identity inequities are prevalent but under-researched in Nigeria's oral health workforce.
• Existing policies and academic literature inadequately address these disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore gender-based disparities in Africa's oral health workforce.
• To investigate the representation of sexual and gender minority individuals in this sector.

Main Methods:

• Reanalysis of academic interviews with 54 Nigerian oral health researchers.
• Inductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts.
• Rapid review of African literature on sexual and gender minority representation in oral health.

Main Results:

• Systemic inequities identified, including patriarchal leadership, gendered work-life expectations, and exclusionary institutional policies, particularly affecting women.
• Male participants often perceived gender parity, while female participants reported ongoing cultural and institutional barriers.
• No data or narratives on sexual and gender minority individuals in African oral health systems were found, indicating their systemic erasure.

Conclusions:

• Urgent need for structural transformation to promote gender and sexual diversity in Africa's oral health workforce.
• Call for gender-responsive reforms, inclusive policies, and legal safeguards against discrimination.
• Emphasizes the necessity of a gender-transformative and intersectional approach for achieving equity and resilience.