EDI Webinars
EDI Webinars – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Webinar Series
ESGO’s EDI Webinars aim to spotlight and challenge systemic inequalities in the field of gynecologic oncology while providing practical tools to support more inclusive and equitable professional environments. These webinars build on the success of the 2024 Equal Chances series and expand the focus to broader topics across equity, diversity, and inclusion—highlighting issues of access, visibility, leadership, international collaboration, and the challenges faced by underrepresented professionals.
Through expert-led discussions, personal insights, and open dialogue, the EDI Webinars create a platform for raising awareness, sharing experiences, and equipping attendees with strategies for professional empowerment and systemic change in the GO world.
This series is part of ESGO’s long-term commitment to embed EDI principles across its activities, from training and leadership development to surgical education and global networking.
Upcoming Webinar
EDI Leadership Webinar
Thriving as a Surgeon in a Global Career
September 15, 2025 | 18:00 CET
Moderator & Speaker: Dinah Richter Spritzer
Panellists: Ane Gerda Zahl Eriksson, Houssein El Hajj
This session will explore the realities of pursuing a surgical career across borders, including:
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Adapting to different healthcare systems and surgical cultures
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Navigating bias and inequality as a foreign professional
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Networking across borders and building global collaborations
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Enhancing visibility and presenting yourself in an international setting
We’ll hear from surgeons who have navigated diverse health systems and cultural challenges, and share practical advice for thriving in a globalized medical world.
Past Webinars
Seeking Equality in Surgery: Do We Blame the Tools?
Date: January 9, 2025 at 18:00 CET
Chairs: Christina Fotopoulou (UK), Toon van Gorp (BE)
Speakers: Sara Nasser, Enrique Chacon Cruz, Jacqueline Sánchez
This webinar examined how surgical tools—and the systems surrounding them—may hinder performance, training, and access for diverse surgeons. Topics included gender bias in instrument design, ergonomic disparities, and equity in surgical training. With insights from both senior leaders and young oncologists, the session was a call to reimagine the operating room as a space of equal opportunity.
Equal Chances Webinar Series 2024
The 2024 Equal Chances series focused on gender bias, work-life integration, harassment prevention, and leadership development. Moderated by Dinah Richter Spritzer, these four webinars featured open discussions and expert advice designed to support women in gynecologic oncology and challenge inequities in the workplace.
Equal Chances is ESGO’s gender equality and inclusion initiative aimed at empowering female members. The program’s name specifically refers to the reality that women historically, and currently, often do not have equal opportunities in their career development due to discrimination, unconscious bias and the unbalanced nature of family and care responsibilities that falls upon women’s shoulders around the globe . ESGO seeks to be at the forefront of movements in medicine that advocate for women to obtain the skills, knowledge and training that will enable them to reach the same life and career goals that are available to their male counterparts.
Webinar 1: We Are All Gender Biased. So What?
Date: May 2, 2024
Speakers: Ane Gerda Zahl Eriksson & Basel Refky
Explore how unconscious bias impacts evaluations, pay, and opportunities—and how we can interrupt it. This webinar provided tools to recognize and address bias and microaggressions in multicultural settings.
Webinar 2: But What Is Harassment?
Date: June 6, 2024
Speakers: Stepanyan Artem, Cagatay Taskiran & Christina Fotopoulou
Delving into the definitions and nuances of harassment, this session addressed legal frameworks, misunderstandings, and cultural perceptions while offering strategies for creating safer professional spaces.
Webinar 3: How Can I Integrate My Family Life with My Career?
Date: September 12, 2024
Speakers: Maja Pakiz & Agnieszka Rychlik
This webinar tackled the institutional and personal challenges of work-life balance, discussing solutions like flexible schedules, childcare support, and destigmatizing motherhood in leadership.
Webinar 4: Leadership Training – What Women Need to Know
Date: December 5, 2024
Speakers: Rene Verheijen, Pedro Ramirez, Jalid Sehouli & Domenica Lorusso
How can women gain equal access to surgical training and leadership opportunities? This expert panel addressed gender disparities in surgery and presented actionable tips for women to rise in their careers.
