Unveiling gender disparities among medical faculty in a developing country: A case study of a public sector teaching hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Objective: To explore the gendered experiences of medical faculty in tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan. Method: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide in Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar from 1st April to 30th September 2023. A purposive sampling technique was employed, and data was interpreted using Ackers's theory of Gendered Organization. Two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and six interviews were conducted and transcribed for data analysis. Braun and Clark's thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Results: Five themes and twelve sub-themes emerged after data analysis. Most male faculty accepted that gender disparity exists in medical institutions and found an element of ignorance in their responses. On the other hand, most females declared the existence of gender bias in administration, career opportunities, working environment, and basic facilities. Findings revealed the dependency of females on males. A huge gap was also found in policy regarding gender disparity. Conclusion: Gender disparity exists everywhere because of patriarchal structures. Study unmasked the workplace realities of both genders within medical institutes. Mainly found that females become more victims of this issue. Women lag behind due to the disparity prevalent among both genders.