RESUMEN
We performed a survey to assess the positions and activities of Japanese women physicians in medical societies. In June 2000, questionnaires were sent to 92 medical societies of the Japanese Association of Medical Science. The response rate was 92.4%. Fifty-four societies (63.5%) failed to provide the number of women physicians. According to the questionnaires that were fully completed and returned, women physicians were more likely to belong to societies of internal medicine, pediatrics, ophthalmology and dermatology. Women physicians were less likely to hold board positions and were underrepresented in leadership positions, even in societies with high percentages of women members. Board positions failed to provide for maternity or child-care leave, and few societies offered childcare facilities at annual meetings. Gender-disaggregated data should be made readily available and additional surveys need to be made to identify obstacles to activities in medical societies.