Submission ID 118503
| Issue/Objective | Women in White Coats, Are They Safe? A Study on the Caveats of Workplace Safety for Female Healthcare Professionals in Bangladesh. |
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| Methodology/Approach | cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out between 23 November 2024 to 30 November 2024 as a pilot study for the research. Female healthcare workers from various healthcare systems, such as physicians and nurses, were the target population. After reviewing related papers and the population's individual experiences, a questionnaire was created and distributed through online and offline channels. Online forms and interviews were used to collect data. |
| Results | After data cleaning and screening of the pilot study, 82 survey responses were deemed valid for the study. 86.6% of the participants recorded feeling unsafe at their workplaces and 63.4% of the participants responded that they had faced various forms of safety-related incidents themselves: sexual harassment (8.54%), Physical Violence (9.8%), and verbal Abuse (54.9%). 55% of the affected individuals reported the incidents having a negative impact on their mental health: reduced motivation for work (42%), and affected personal life (7.6%), depression/PTSD (17.3%). A considerable portion of the victims (33%) did not report the incident to the authorities due to reasons such as fear of being isolated, shame, lack of trust in management, and fear of retaliation from management. On the other hand, among the victims who reported the incident, a majority (54.2%) remained unsatisfied with the actions from their workplaces. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The pilot study underscores a grim image of workplace safety conditions and highlights the dire need to address the safety challenges for female healthcare workers in Bangladesh. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Sabrina Monsur Dhaka Medical College Riffat Tanzima DMC Benzeer Tanha DU Oishi Tasnim DMC Najifa Nawar DMC Shanto Promit DMC Arifun Nahar DMC |
