Preserving the Membranous Labyrinth With a Piezoelectric Drill? Exploring Potential for Semicircular Canal Surgery.

Globally, gender disparity in science remains latent . UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) identified in 2021 that the female gender represents 31.5% of researchers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) worldwide, and 44.4% in Latin America and the Caribbean . This imbalance is driven by sociocultural factors, such as gender stereotypes, traditional roles, and a limited perception of belonging in STEM fields; phenomena that begin at an early age and can affect the self-sufficiency and confidence of women participating in these areas . Available data suggest an accentuated gender gap in developing countries, such as Peru. The National Census of Research and Development of Research Centers elaborated in 2016 showed that the female sex represented one-third of registered researchers . On the other hand, in the ranking of the 200 Peruvian researchers with the highest bibliometric indicators, it was identified that 15% were women, and only one was among the top ten positions . This problem could impact key contexts such as processes linked to health decision-making; since they require the participation of a representative and inclusive group . The impact of gender disparity in processes such as the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) has been described in high-income countries. For example, Australia reported an underrepresentation of women in CPG development panels; 41% of them participated as members and 42% as lead developers . In Peru, the methodological guidelines for CPG development were published in 2015, and their implementation has progressively consolidated in subsequent years. . Gender contribution data in these processes suggest a trend toward disparity. A 2023 study revealed that approximately 28% of participating members in CPG development were women; although this publication focused on cardiovascular disease guidelines .