Representation of women among leadership and honorees within the Society of Abdominal Radiology, past and present

Purpose: To evaluate gender diversity over time within the leadership and honorees of the Society of Abdominal Radiology with comparison to other radiologic societies. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of the gender distribution of presidents and gold meal awardees within the Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) compared to three national radiology organizations: the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Data were collected from the inception of each society through 2020. Societies were directly contacted for president and Gold Medal awardee names when this information was not available on society websites. Differences in the proportion of female presidents and Gold Medal awardees before and after 2012, by society, were performed using χ² test; 2012 was selected as a threshold year as this represented when SAR was created. Results: The proportion of female past presidents was 5%, 9%, and 33% for the SGR, SUR, and SAR, respectively, and 5%, 4%, and 7% for the ACR, ARRS, and RSNA, respectively. The proportion of female Gold Medal awardees was 5%, 4%, and 10% for the SGR, SUR, and SAR, respectively, and 5%, 7%, and 7%, respectively, for ACR, ARRS, and RSNA. There was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of women presidents and honorees in all societies after 2012 compared to before 2012, but no significant difference between societies in either time period. Conclusion: A higher proportion of female presidents and honorees were demonstrated across all societies after 2012.