June 16, 2026 | The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
OTTAWA, ON: There’s a systemic gender bias in women’s reproductive health care in Canada.
Women across the country are enduring unacceptably long wait times for diagnosis and treatment of painful conditions like endometriosis, fibroids and other chronic gynaecologic disorders that significantly affect quality of life. Despite this, procedures related to women’s reproductive health, especially gynaecologic surgeries, are undervalued, underprioritized and underpaid.
Dr. Nicholas Leyland, the new incoming president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), says it’s well beyond time to address this. He is calling for an end to gender pay gaps that negatively affect both timely access to care for women in Canada and fair compensation for physicians delivering this care.
Currently, gynaecologic surgeries are routinely deprioritized in operating room scheduling across Canada. Common procedures like hysterectomies or endometriosis surgeries are deemed “elective” and often delayed or bumped in favour of more “urgent” or higher-priority cases, which frequently are in male-dominated surgical specialties like orthopedics or urology.
Meanwhile, fees for gynaecologic procedures are significantly lower than for comparable surgeries performed on male patients. For example, gynaecologic surgeons may earn up to 50 per cent less for a hysterectomy compared to a urologist performing a prostatectomy. Since women now make up most of the OB/GYN residents in Canada, this pay gap disproportionately affects female physicians. Additionally, women doctors already earn up to 30 per cent less than their male counterparts. This means female gynaecologic specialists face an even greater pay disparity than their male colleagues in comparable specialties.
All of this is exacerbating workforce challenges in gynaecology, which in turn are driving lengthy wait times for diagnosis and treatment. As a result, many women are left to endure years of unnecessary pain, infertility and other preventable health consequences.
Having dedicated much of his career to addressing these systemic inequities, Dr. Leyland has made it a key priority as SOGC President to shine a national spotlight on this issue and advocate for meaningful improvements in care for women across Canada.
Dr. Leyland will be sworn in as the SOGC’s new President on Friday, June 19 during the Society’s Annual Clinical and Scientific Conference, held this year in Ottawa, Ont.
The conference will feature three days of scientific sessions, expert panels and hands-on learning opportunities focused on advancing women's health care. Highlights include a keynote address by internationally renowned Canadian physician and author Dr. Jennifer Gunter on the growing impact of health misinformation. There will also be presentations and discussions on: informed consent and shared decision-making in OB/GYN care; navigating concerns about obstetric violence; discussions on women’s sexual and reproductive rights and reflections on how data can improve outcomes for Black women and gender-diverse people.
The program will also bring together a panel of leaders from obstetrical and gynaecological organizations around the world to explore shared challenges and opportunities to improve care for women globally.
To launch the conference, the SOGC will be hosting a march on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. to raise awareness and action against the growing rates of gender-based violence in Canada. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
“Women’s health is not just underfunded in Canada; it is structurally de-prioritized. This reflects a systemic gender bias in the health care system – women’s health issues are often seen as non-urgent or less important. This affects every province in Canada and needs national level reform.” – Dr. Nicholas Leyland, President-elect, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
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Media Inquiries:
Teresa Wright
Communications and Public Affairs Specialist
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
[email protected]