Gender Disparities in Physician Employment, Leadership, and Parental Leave in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

Gender disparities in physicians' employment and leadership remain a persistent challenge in Japan, and regional variation has been less well examined. We investigated sex differences in employment type, senior leadership representation, and parental leave uptake among physicians in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, a microcosm of the country in demographic and socioeconomic structure.

We analyzed records for 4809 physicians from 80 medical institutions in Shizuoka Prefecture (2023). Employment type (full-time vs. part-time), sex distribution in senior positions (administrator, vice director, and department/section chief), and parental leave uptake (2021-2023) were assessed. Sex differences and regional comparisons were evaluated using chi-square tests and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Trends in parental leave uptake were examined using the Cochran-Armitage trend test.

Part-time employment did not differ significantly between women (24.0%) and men (26.6%) (p = 0.123). The Eastern region showed higher part-time employment for both sexes than the Central and Western regions (all p < 0.001). Women were less represented in senior positions (all p < 0.001). Male physicians' parental leave uptake increased significantly from 2021 to 2023 (p = 0.0098), whereas female uptake remained stable.

Gender disparities among physicians in Shizuoka Prefecture appear to be shaped by regional and institutional factors, underscoring the need for region-specific strategies and workplace reforms. These disparities included substantially higher part-time employment in the Eastern region for both sexes, persistent male dominance in senior leadership, and increasing parental leave uptake among male physicians.