Assessing the Impact of Female Ophthalmologists in the Leadership of Turkish Ophthalmology: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: This study aimed to assess the gender distribution and bibliometric indices within the central and subspecialty administrative boards of the Turkish Ophthalmological Association (TOA). Material and Methods: Data on the TOA's administrative structure and role distribution were obtained from the association's official website. Bibliometric indices for each individual were retrieved from their publications indexed in Scopus. Gender distribution in the TOA's central and subspecialty boards was represented as percentages. Academic ranks were compared between genders using the chi-square test. The Student's t-test was used to compare bibliometric indices and total publication counts between genders. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the h-index, academic ranks, and leadership positions in TOA. Results: A total of 101 individuals in TOA's central and subspecialty boards were analyzed, including 54 females (53.5%) and 47 males (46.5%). The TOA president was female, with women comprising 45.5% of the central administration and holding 60% of the presidency positions in subspecialty boards. There was no significant difference in academic ranks between genders (p=0.214), with 87% of female members holding professorships. Similarly, bibliometric indices did not significantly differ between genders. No significant correlation was found between the h-index and leadership positions within TOA (r=0.018, p=0.855). Conclusion: The TOA president was female, and women held the majority of leadership positions in its subspecialty boards. Female and male ophthalmologists demonstrated comparable academic publication quality. These findings highlight strong female representation in Turkish ophthalmology and indicate gender equality in academic achievement.