A systematic analysis of the gender disparities in oncology journal editorial boards

BACKGROUND: Despite growing emphasis on equity and diversity, women remain underrepresented in academic leadership roles, especially on the editorial boards of scientific journals. The composition of editorial boards plays a major role in shaping the peer-review process, research dissemination, and academic advancement. While gender disparities have been documented in many specialties, the data from oncology journals remain scarce. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 310 oncology journals indexed in the InCites Journal Citation Reports. Data were manually extracted from journal websites between April and May 2025.Variables included the number and gender of editorial board members and editors-in-chief, Journal Impact Factor (JIF) quartile, SCIE/ESCI indexing, journal and publisher continent, professional society affiliation. RESULTS: Among 21,065 editorial board members, 5,592 (26.5%) were women, with representation among editors-in-chief even lower at 89 out of 378 (23.5%). Female representation was highest in Q1 journals (30.5%) and lowest in Q4 journals (17.9%) (p < 0.001). Geographical disparities were prominent: women represented 49.5% of editorial board members in U.S.-based journals, compared to 10.1% in Asia and 1.5% in Australia (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, absence of a female editor-in-chief (OR:2.77, 95%CI:1.61-4.75; p < 0.001) and lack of professional association affiliation (OR:1.78, 95%CI: 1.11-2.85; p = 0.017) were independently associated with gender disparity. CONCLUSION: Gender disparities remain prominent across oncology journal editorial boards, particularly in leadership roles and journals affiliated with Asia. Effective strategies are needed to increase efforts to promote equity in academic leadership, as well as improve transparency in the editorial selection process so inclusivity and diverse perspectives can be integrated into oncology research.