Women in GI Network advocates for industry equality

In 2021, Miami-based Gastro Health launched the Women in GI Network, led by Asma Khapra, MD, to promote gender equity in gastroenterology, according to a Sept. 16 press release sent to Becker's

September is Women in Medicine Month, a month created by the AMA to recognize women in medical professions, and Gastro Health is celebrating by seeking out opportunities for women in the workplace to close the gender pay gap in GI. 

The Women in GI Network connects female GI physicians so they can share ideas, discuss work struggles and ask each other questions. 

In 2020, of 15,000 active GI doctors, only 18.9 percent were women, despite 30 percent of GI residents being female. 

An estimated 40 percent of female physicians become part-time within six years of working due to a lack of role models, tough demands between work and life balance, and biased and unequal wages. 

"As a female GI in private practice for 16 years, I had to navigate many of the waters on my own without a real roadmap of dedicated support, mentorship, and guidance for my overall career trajectory," Dr. Khapra said in the release. "With the national growth being experienced at Gastro Health, I knew there would be a number of women GIs entering private practice for the first time and I wanted to be sure we could offer them the support I wish I had earlier in my career." 

The network also aims to clear paths to partnership and leadership opportunities, provide company-wide bias training and connect female physicians to 401k partners for education.

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