Teaching, service, and leadership: exploring gender inequities in Saudi pharmacy academia

Gender equity remains a global challenge in academic pharmacy, with disparities documented in rank, leadership, and workload distribution. However, limited evidence exists from Middle Eastern contexts where unique structural and cultural factors, such as gender segregation, shape faculty experiences.

This study examined gender equity perceptions among faculty at a Saudi college of pharmacy, focusing on workload distribution, access to resources, classroom experiences, and advancement opportunities, and compared findings with national data from the AACP-APhA Gender Equity Task Force.

A cross-sectional survey adapted from the AACP-APhA Gender Equity Task Force instrument was administered to pharmacy faculty. The survey measured perceptions of equity across domains including teaching, research, service, student interactions, mentoring, leadership, and promotion. Responses were analyzed using chi-square tests to identify gender differences.

Significant gender differences were identified across multiple domains. Female faculty reported heavier teaching workloads, less access to research resources, and greater service obligations compared to male colleagues. They also perceived significant disparities in classroom civility (p = 0.0052), student respect, and teaching evaluations (p = 0.0451), with students perceived as treating male faculty more favorably. Leadership opportunities, promotion, and peer respect also significantly favored men. These findings are consistent with national data, reinforcing that inequities in academic pharmacy are systemic rather than context-specific.

Women faculty in Saudi pharmacy education face structural and cultural barriers, compounded by implicit student bias, that limit their time for scholarship and affect their career advancement. Institutional interventions, including equitable workload distribution, resource allocation, bias training, and mentorship programs, are essential to promote gender equity and ensure a supportive academic environment.