• Christine A Heisler, Pringl Miller, Elizabeth H Stephens, Jessica Ton, and Sarah M Temkin.
• Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, 53715, USA. Electronic address: cheisler@wisc.edu.
• Am. J. Surg. 2020 Nov 1; 220 (5): 1132-1135.

BackgroundThe availability and utility of public statements and policies on gender equity from professional surgical societies has not been studied.MethodsProfessional surgical society websites were searched for publicly available statements and policies related to gender equity. These were compiled and assessed for critical components.ResultsPublicly available statements/policies were published in every surgical society, though few pertained specifically to gender. Nearly all were recently written or revised. The most common statement/policy addressed discrimination and harassment. The only policies/statements that reliably contained all four key components pertained to professional conduct at national meetings. All policies that provided consequences also contained specific reporting processes.ConclusionsGender equity statements and policies are deficient among professional surgical societies. Prioritization of publicizing statements/policies that describe the challenges and provide potential solutions to well-documented gender inequities within surgical fields allows professional societies to promote a diverse and equitable workforce.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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