Abstract
Background: The adaptation of conferences to virtual platforms has allowed more international colleagues and underrepresented members of the surgical workforce to access educational opportunities. With the purpose of addressing the gap in open-access gender equity education, the Gender Equity Initiative in Global Surgery (GEIGS) held its first general assembly in 2020 as a pathway to promote capacity building on this topic.Objectives: This article aims to report the organization and outcomes of the GEIGS general assembly as an example of opportunities to develop capacity on gender equity and diversity in global surgery using virtual platforms. Project Design and Implementation: The GEIGS General Assembly was a two-day event held on December 12th and December 20th, 2020. The project was led by an organizing committee, composed of 11 individuals of diverse backgrounds, who were divided into logistics, advocacy, and sessions teams. The assembly planning was facilitated through weekly meetings under the supervision of the GEIGS steering committee.Main Achievements: GEIGS piloted a virtual global-scale general assembly that encompassed small-group and international community building, interactive learning, and advocacy. In terms of regional representation, there were 199 attendees from 46 different countries. The event highlighted the need to promote inclusion of non-English speakers in the global surgery community, and sessions about intersectionality; equity, social justice, and diversity; and national surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia planning garnered the most participant engagement. Moreover, social media engagement mirrored an increased utilization of online platforms for educational, advocacy and promotional purposes, enhancing both scholarly dissemination and capacity building. Policy Implications: Engaging in global surgery demands identifying leaders who will build awareness, workforce diversity, and capacity. Our report demonstrates that the topic of gender equity has not held a prominent place in global surgery, and that this first intersectional conference was an initial step to align both agendas and debate the role of female and non-binary health workers in surgical, anesthesia and obstetric specialties in an international, socially engaging, and region-specific context.
Raising Gender Equity Voices: Reflections from an International Virtual Assembly in Global Surgery
