Diversity & Inclusion in IUGA: Where We Are Today

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a hot topic within the world of associations. DEI can be considered from many angles. In this article, we will present some of the metrics used to measure diversity within IUGA, as well as share the results of our September 2021 survey on the subject.

Diversity of Members

One of the ways to look at diversity within IUGA is to look at the demographics of our membership. Looking first at gender diversity, at the end of Q1 2022, IUGA had 3,005 members: 1,515 females; 1,292 males; 1 non-binary; 4 unspecified; and 193 unknown/chose not to report. As gender reporting has expanded to include more fluid ways of self-identifying, IUGA has as well by adding “non-binary” and “unspecified” as gender options on our membership application. 

In terms of geographic diversity, the IUGA membership currently represents 106 countries. Members of the IUGA Board represent Brazil, The Netherlands, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.

While an international membership provides for diversity of thought and practice, it can be challenging to provide an organizational structure in which all voices have equal representation. The IUGA International Advisory Board aims to address this challenge by having a representative from each of 9 identified geographic regions who can provide guidance to the IUGA Board on the status and needs of urogynecology in their region. Prior to 2019, the whole of Asia was represented by 1 person on the International Advisory Board. Recognizing that one person could not possibly be knowledgeable about this large geographic region where multiple languages are spoken, the Asian region was divided into 4 regions (Central & East; Southern; Southeastern; and Western) prior to the 2018 election cycle, resulting in the current 9 regions.

To further strengthen connections and collaborations at a regional level, IUGA President Jorge Milhem Haddad has prioritized creating Regional Advisory Boards, each chaired by the International Advisory Board representative from that region. The Regional Advisory Boards have resulted in new members, new collaborations, and new educational activities, such as the 4-part webinar series on Urogynecology in Africa offered in 2021. IUGA also continues to offer opportunities for regional connection and discussion at the Annual Meeting through a number of regional meetings, such as the Ibero-American and Pan-Asian meetings.

Although English is the official language of IUGA, President Haddad has made one of his goals to increase the resources available in the most commonly spoken languages among members, starting with Spanish. Spanish-speaking members can now find resources in Spanish on the IUGA website, which includes documents, IUJ tables of contents, E-lectures, and Interactive Networking Sessions in Spanish. IUGA also recently conducted a webinar entirely in French; it’s available for members to view on-demand in the IUGA Video Library. On the patient side, volunteers have translated various IUGA Patient Information Leaflets into more than 20 languages, making urogynecological information accessible to patients worldwide. In 2018, the IUGA Public Forum (Vienna, Austria) was conducted in German, ensuring the local public could understand urogynecology in their native language.

Diversity of Specialty

While originally organized as a society of mostly physicians, in recent years IUGA has made an effort to attract more non-physician members and to be an association home for all those treating women with pelvic floor disorders, including physiotherapists, nurses, midwives, and other allied health professionals. At the end of Q1 2022, IUGA’s members were made up of 2330 physicians, 340 fellows/physicians in training, 329 non-physician members, and 6 medical students. Looking at the data more deeply, we see the diversity of disciplines our members practice as follows: 49.4% urogynecology, 15.8% OB/GYN; 9.0% physiotherapy; 6.4% gynecology; 4.3% urology; 0.9% nursing.

To meet the needs of our varied membership and encourage involvement from all members of the multidisciplinary team, IUGA offers a reduced membership rate for non-physicians (physiotherapists, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals), has special interest groups focusing on nursing/midwifery and rehabilitation/physiotherapy, and has offered 3 International Symposia focused specifically for the non-physician audience. We also have a non-physician member serving on each Regional Advisory Board to ensure the experiences and views of this group of members are represented. To attract new practitioners to the field, in Q2 2022 IUGA began offering free membership to students for up to 3 years.

Our community benefits from a wide scope of educational content related to pelvic floor disorders and their treatment. One of the ways we broaden our offerings is by collaborating with related organizations. To date, collaborative webinars have been offered with the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons, International Continence Society, and the Pre-Vocational Obstetrics & Gynaecology Society of Australia and New Zealand. Webinars and Live Discussions have also been initiated by IUGA Special Interest Groups to meet the specific educational needs and interests of members.

Equity & Access

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are concepts that we aim to address not in isolation, but to embed within all of our programs and initiatives. Recognizing that not all countries have the same economic status, we offer tiered membership fees based on the World Bank Classification system, including free membership for practitioners in the lowest income countries. In 2021 we adjusted the membership tiers to make membership more affordable for those from upper middle-income countries.

Traveling to international meetings is expensive, and not all members can afford to do this. COVID brought about a boom in virtual meetings which we expect to remain a component of society meetings even as the world opens up again. Practitioners who never had the opportunity to travel to the IUGA Annual Meetings now have been able to attend virtually, and our Annual Meeting Scholarship Program further increases accessibility of our programs to those needing financial assistance to cover the cost of virtual meeting registration. Virtual registration scholarships have also been offered for our Virtual Regional Symposia and International Symposia, in addition to the Annual Meeting.

Survey Results

In September 2021, via an email survey, we asked IUGA members if they felt that IUGA is a diverse and inclusive association. Out of 63 respondents, 90% of responded affirmatively.

Some of the comments from those who felt IUGA is not diverse and inclusive are noted below, along with a sample of the activities and initiatives IUGA has undertaken that will (hopefully) help to address these perceived shortcomings. 

• "More representation should come from African region.”
  • A Regional Advisory Board was established in Africa in 2021. This group proposed and developed a 4-part webinar series focused on practicing urogynecology in Africa.
• “Be aware and seek out those clinicians in the underserved areas. Help to promote and involve those that represent low income and middle-income countries.”
  • In 2021, upper middle-income countries were moved from Category A to Category B, resulting in a lower membership fee for members from the upper-middle-income countries.
  • Practitioners from low-income countries (Category C countries) receive IUGA membership at no cost.
  • Registration scholarships were made available to those needing financial assistance to attend the 2020 and 2021 Virtual Annual Meetings, the 2021 and 2022 Virtual International Symposia, and the 2021 Virtual Regional Symposium. Scholarships for virtual attendance of the 2022 Annual Meeting were also available.
  • 1 of our 3 IUGA Observership Grants is reserved for a member from a least developed country.
  • The scoring for the IUGA Research Grants will be adjusted this year to level the playing field between applicants from countries with less developed research programs and expertise.
• “Actively involve more disciplines.”
  • IUGA continues to invest energy and resources in increasing the involvement and membership among nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals who treat women with pelvic floor disorders. In March 2022 we offered our third International Symposium focused on this group of practitioners.
  • A non-physician member serves on each Regional Advisory Board.

Some of the comments from survey respondents who agreed that IUGA is diverse and inclusive were:

• "A diverse leadership with a genuine interest on education and the advancement of clinical skills serving surgeons and patients around the world. IUGA is a unique organization that has played a role on my professional development and the care to my patients.”
• “I think IUGA is inclusive in welcoming all members from different parts of the world; and also, because it seeks to bring discussion of controversial and important regional issues.”
• “It is obvious not only from the diversity of the IUGA members but also of the appointed officers.”
• “By asking if you are diverse, you demonstrate awareness for diversity.”
• “Lower rates for membership for members from lower- and middle-income countries, prioritizing inclusion from under-represented groups on committees.”
• “The international nature and inviting everyone to be a part of committees, et cetera. Probably one of the most inclusive organizations I that I support - actions speak much louder than words.”
• “Female representation, people of colour, countries from all over the world represented - personally I felt welcomed and included at any IUGA meetings I attended.”

While the data presented shows most members feel IUGA is a diverse and inclusive organization overall, there is always room for improvement. Your feedback is welcome and may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..