Open AccessExamining the Role of Gender in Career Advancement at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Author(s) -
Zhuo Chen,
Kakoli Roy,
Carol A. Gotway Crawford
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2008.156190
Subject(s) - promotion (chess) , agency (philosophy) , health promotion , public health , disease control , gerontology , medicine , gender gap , disease prevention , career development , psychology , environmental health , political science , nursing , medical education , demographic economics , sociology , social science , politics , economics , law
During the past decade, efforts to promote gender parity in the healing and public health professions have met with only partial success. We provide a critical update regarding the status of women in the public health profession by exploring gender-related differences in promotion rates at the nation's leading public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Using personnel data drawn from CDC, we found that the gender gap in promotion has diminished across time and that this reduction can be attributed to changes in individual characteristics (e.g., higher educational levels and more federal work experience). However, a substantial gap in promotion that cannot be explained by such characteristics has persisted, indicating continuing barriers in women's career advancement.