1299 MANELS: A Retrospective, Multi-National, Longitudinal Study for Quantitative Analysis of Gender Distribution of Speakers at Paediatrics Surgery Conferences

Abstract Aim Academic representation of women at conferences is vital for improving underrepresentation in surgery, despite the rising number of females into the medical profession. This study aimed to quantify the gender distribution of speakers and prevalence of all-male panels (“manels”) at major paediatric surgical conferences. Method Retrospective analysis of annual meetings organised across three major paediatrics surgery conferences, between January 2016 and December 2021. Male and female faculty were academically stratified according to mean publications, citations, and H-index. A ‘Manel’ was defined as a session with 2 or more speakers, all of whom identified as male. Sex was defined by gender titles on conference program or Gender Balance Assessment Tool (GBAT). Results Of 13 conferences included, there were 896 invited speakers, of which 22.9% (n=205) were female. Across the 146 open panel sessions, 39.0% (n=57) were manels. There was a no correlation in the proportion of manels between 2016 and 2021 (p=0.31). No statistically significant difference in the percentage of manels was observed between online (50.0%, n=8) versus in-person conferences (37.6%, n=57) (p=0.341). There was no significant difference in the mean H-indices of invited speakers (male=26.4, female=21.6; p=0.149) and mean total citations (male=4463.1, female=2323.3;p=0.084). Male invited lecturers had significantly higher publications (male=185.7, female=111.9, p=0.036). Male panellist had a significantly higher H-index (male=19.8, female=15.7, p=0.001), publications (male=110.2, female=70.8, p<0.001) and citations (male=2218.1, female=1310.3, p=0.01). Conclusions Despite the increasing representation of women within paediatric surgery, this study shows recurring disproportionate representation of female speakers across major conferences, illustrating the necessity for greater gender distribution and diversity.