Where the pipeline leaks and delays: gendered academic dynamics in anatomy in Türkiye

Abstract

Background: This study examines gender representation across the academic anatomy pipeline in Türkiye, from graduate education and thesis authorship to academic faculty ranks, and aims to identify where gender disparities emerge. Methods: Data were obtained from three national open-access sources: annual reports on the numbers of master’s and doctoral students in anatomy programs (2015–2025), all anatomy theses published between 1969–2024, and the distribution of academic staff in anatomy departments as of March 2025. Gender was classified using publicly available institutional and academic profiles. These datasets were examined comparatively to map longitudinal patterns from training to senior academic ranks. Results: A total of 1,657 theses were included; women accounted for 57.2% of authors, and their proportion increased from 42.9% in early decades to 64.8% in 2020–2024 (p<0.001). Between 2015–2025, women’s representation rose from 58.2% to 69.7% in master’s programs and from 40.1% to 54.7% in doctoral programs. Despite strong representation of women at trainee levels, only 31% of professors in 2025 were women, while their representation was markedly higher among research assistants (74.4%) and lecturers (69.6%). Academic rank and gender were significantly associated (p<0.001), indicating progressive attrition of women along the academic pathway. Conclusions: Although women enter the anatomy field in Türkiye in strong numbers and successfully complete graduate training, this increasing representation does not translate into senior academic positions. These findings show that women’s strong early-stage presence fails to reach senior ranks, exposing both clear leakage and suggesting marked delayed advancement in the academic pipeline.