Gender differences among dentistry conference speakers in Brazil

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate possible gender differences among the invited speakers of Brazilian dentistry meetings. The selected meetings (n=15) were held in different states distributed among the five Brazilian regions. The conference programs were manually reviewed, and a database was constructed. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. A total of 1,195 speakers was identified, 19.7% (n= 235) of which were women. The results of this study provide an overview of the trends of gender disparity in dentistry conferences in Brazil. These findings suggest disseminated gender-discriminatory practices in the promotion of women participation as speakers in such events. This requires more effective approaches to promote gender balance among conference organizing committees and encourage greater visibility and promotion of equity and diversity policies in dental professional societies to ensure more equitable conference programs.