For the first time in history, women now outnumber men among doctors in the UK, with 164,440 women registered compared to 164,195 men, according to the General Medical Council.

Dr. Claudia Paoloni highlighted the challenges women have faced in the medical field, including bias and harassment, and celebrated this achievement as a recognition of their contributions.

Dr. Latifa Patel from the BMA emphasized the importance of retaining women doctors in the NHS and ensuring they feel fulfilled in their roles.

While women dominate specialties like obstetrics and gynecology (63%), pediatrics (61%), and general practice (58%), they remain underrepresented in surgery (17%), ophthalmology (35%), and emergency medicine (37%).

Regionally, the highest proportion of female doctors is found in Scotland at 54.8%, followed by Northern Ireland (53.5%), England (49.7%), and Wales (47.3%).

Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, chair of the GMC, noted that this demographic shift reflects changing trends in medical education and will positively impact patient care, especially since over half of the UK population is female.

The GMC's recent analysis also revealed a significant increase in diversity within the medical workforce, with more doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds than from white backgrounds, marking a 78% increase since 2016.

The British Medical Association and the Medical Women’s Federation continue to advocate for efforts to combat sexism and support women's career progression in medicine.

Since 2015, the proportion of female doctors has been on the rise, and female medical students have outnumbered their male counterparts since the 2018/19 academic year.

Despite these advancements, female doctors still encounter significant issues such as unequal pay, sexual harassment, and difficulties related to childcare and work flexibility.

Professor Scarlett McNally emphasized the importance of recognizing female doctors' contributions and capabilities, urging the public to engage with them regarding treatment options.

This milestone comes after decades of progress; in 1965, women made up only 20% of the medical workforce, a figure that has steadily increased since the 1970s due to greater female enrollment in medical schools.