Dr. Margarita Otero promotes gender equity in medicine

The Anáhuac University of Mexico academic participated in the Emerging Leaders Conference 2025, where she highlighted the importance of bioethics and the gender perspective in healthcare.

On July 26, 2025, Dr. Margarita Otero Lamas, Medical Surgeon, coordinator of the Master's Degree in Bioethics, full professor at the School of Bioethics, PhD candidate in Bioethics at the Universidad Anáhuac México, and member of the Mexican National Academy of Bioethics (ANMB), participated as a speaker in the workshop "Medical Dimensions of Gender", held within the framework of the Emerging Leaders Conference (ELC) 2025, an event organized by the World Youth Alliance Latin America.

The ELC brought together young leaders, academics, and specialists from different countries and disciplines, who discussed the current and future challenges of leadership from a perspective that integrated innovation, ethics, and social responsibility. This edition addressed global topics such as health, human rights, the environment, sustainable development, and citizen participation, from a comprehensive perspective that linked theory with concrete actions.

In this context, Dr. Otero Lamas's presentation offered an in-depth analysis of the influence of gender on contemporary medicine. She explained that biological differences and social constructs associated with gender impact not only the manifestation of diseases but also their diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. She also warned that diagnostic and therapeutic biases derived from stereotypes persist, generating inequities in care and negatively affecting health outcomes.

She also noted that moving toward personalized and equitable medicine requires addressing the unique characteristics of each patient, considering biological, social, cultural, and gender factors. This requires a profound transformation in three key areas: clinical practice, biomedical research, and the formulation of public health policies. In all of these areas, bioethics is presented as a fundamental guide to ensuring that medical decisions and health policies respect human dignity and rights, with equity as the guiding principle.

It is worth mentioning that the workshop was attended by a diverse international audience, comprised of health professionals, academics, activists, and leaders-in-training, who actively participated in the debate. This exchange enriched the discussion, allowing for the identification of common challenges and generating opportunities for future interdisciplinary collaborations that strengthen the gender perspective in medicine and public health.

With the participation of its members in these forums, the School of Bioethics at Anáhuac University Mexico reaffirms its commitment to academic excellence, internationalization, and the training of professionals capable of leading with ethics, a humanistic vision, and social responsibility. Dr. Otero Lamas's contribution demonstrates the Faculty's ability to influence global debates and position bioethics as an indispensable tool in decision-making aimed at health and social well-being.