'Manels' still rife at medical conferences with over a third of panels only featuring men

Men outnumber women as invited lecturers, panelists, and planning committee organisers in most academic medical conferences by a ratio of around 2:1, according to Australian and international research. The study looked at 98 medical conferences across Australasia, Canada, Europe, the UK, and the US and found that women make up just 30 per cent of the speakers, and over a third of panels were made up only of men - making them more 'manels' than panels. The researchers say increasing the number of women on planning committees may help address gender inequities. An accompanying editorial calls for an end to these 'manels' saying that in 2020, there is no excuse for 'manels' or any lack of diversity.