Reply #57: In Saudi Arabia there certainly are.

[LeftishBrit]

Difficult to enforce rigid gender segregation without having women doctors, come to think of it.

Here's a link to an article about the topic:


doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2004.06.008


Copyright © 2004 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Saudi women doctors: gender and careers within Wahhabic Islam and a ‘westernised’ work culture
Girija Vidyasagar and David M. Rea

Centre for Health Economics and Policy Studies, School of Health Science, University of Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK


Available online 26 August 2004.

Sypnosis
This paper reports on the experience of 28 Saudi women doctors working in Saudi Arabia. It demonstrates the problems they encountered, many of which they share with counterparts elsewhere. In addition, they have also had to deal with problems peculiar to Saudi society: a constitution and legal system that sanctions male superiority, and segregation of the sexes in all areas of life. This context affected their choice of specialty, their work alongside male colleagues, and their promotion prospects.

Many had encountered what was described as a western culture at work, or in their overseas training. They valued many aspects of this, such as promotion being based on merit, but did not all expect these aspects of western culture to prevail within their own context.

Despite the constraints, the older women doctors had achieved professional success and satisfaction—and the younger doctors expect professional success also.