WISA - Uganda Chapter
Women in Surgery Africa (WISA) - Uganda Chapter
Women in Surgery Africa (WiSA) – Uganda Chapter is a professional network dedicated to advancing the role, leadership, and participation of women in surgical specialties across Uganda. The chapter is under the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). It brings together women surgeons, surgical trainees, and medical students committed to promoting gender equity, professional excellence, mentorship, and leadership in surgery.
Despite growing numbers of women entering medical schools, surgery remains one of the most male-dominated fields of medicine worldwide and across Africa. WiSA Uganda works to address this gap by supporting the development of women surgeons and advocating for inclusive and supportive surgical training environments.
Status of Women in Surgery in Uganda and the Region
Recent workforce data from East, Central, and Southern Africa highlight the persistent gender imbalance in the surgical workforce.
- In East, Central, and Southern Africa, only about 11–12% of surgeons are women.
- In Uganda, female specialist surgeons represent about 12% of the surgical workforce.
- Earlier regional estimates suggested that around 9% of surgeons were female, illustrating gradual but slow improvement over time.
- Across the region, women remain particularly under-represented in specialties such as orthopaedic surgery and trauma surgery, where female representation may be as low as 6%.
- We currently have 118 active members in Uganda in WISA.
These statistics underscore the importance of initiatives such as Women in Surgery Africa, which aim to strengthen mentorship, build supportive networks, and encourage more women to pursue and thrive in surgical careers.