Japanese women surgeons-Past, present, and future

Japan presents a unique cultural and medical context. While the number of male surgeons across various surgical fields declined significantly from 2014 to 2022, the number of women surgeons rose rapidly during the same period. Japanese surgeons typically face long working hours and low pay. Women surgeons also perform fewer operations, particularly high-difficulty surgeries, but handle more high-risk patients, whereas short-term outcomes show no surgeon gender differences. The 2024 work style reform for physicians capped overtime duties up to 1,860 hours per year, but the definition of "work" remains ambiguous. Generational attitudes toward domestic work are shifting; 76% of surgeons, regardless of gender, in their 20s accept sharing household chores, and more surgeons are choosing work with fewer responsibilities.

The increase in women surgeons is encouraging amidst the overall decline. Work style reforms are crucial to ensure women overcome barriers like child rearing to thrive. Surgical societies are actively promoting gender equality and increasing the appointment of women to decision-making bodies. Increasing women in leadership must be fair and transparent. Indispensable leadership training for younger generations is required to effectively voice the opinions they represent.