2025 Volume 52 Issue 1 Pages 78-83
The Japanese Headache Society has positioned the promotion of diversity and inclusion (D&I) as one of its pillars for the development of the Society and established the Diversity Promotion Subcommittee within the General Affairs Committee in November 2022. In April 2024, the subcommittee announced its activity guidelines, which include: (1) participation of female committee members, (2) increasing the number of female delegates, (3) participation of female board members, (4) increasing the number of female chairs and speakers at the annual scientific meeting, (5) support for young and child-rearing physicians, (6) organizing symposia related to D&I and sex differences in medicine, (7) promotion of other forms of diversity beyond gender, and (8) collaboration with other societies for D&I promotion.
Although the current activities primarily focus on gender diversity, the subcommittee recognizes the importance of promoting other aspects of diversity. This paper reports the current status and issues of women’s participation in the society based on the results of a questionnaire survey conducted in July 2024.
The number of members has been increasing annually and exceeded 3,000 in 2022. The proportion of female members has remained at approximately 18.1％ to 19.6％ over the past four years. The proportion of female committee members and delegates is at a similar level, while the proportion of female board members remains lower at 8.7％. The survey indicated that further promotion of female participation in these roles is desired. The proportion of female chairs and speakers at the annual meetings has been relatively high, particularly in recent years.
The survey also revealed that while some measures for supporting young and child-rearing physicians have started (such as the establishment of a childcare service at the annual meeting and online/on-demand participation options) , further support is particularly desired for the acquisition and maintenance of board certification. Barriers include the limited number of training facilities, career interruptions due to childbirth and childcare, insufficient support from partners and workplaces, and complex certification procedures. Suggestions for support include expanding online training, easing certification requirements, introducing flexible systems, establishing grants and scholarships for career reentry, and increasing information dissemination.
In conclusion, although progress has been made in some areas of women’s participation in the society, challenges remain, particularly in leadership roles and specialty certification. Promoting the active participation of female and young physicians as a whole remains crucial to meeting the diverse needs of headache patients.
