Globally, there has been a growing interest in addressing gender disparities in leadership positions within rheumatology,1 editorial boards of rheumatology journals,2 conference speakers3 and authorship of research publications and guidelines.4 5 The causes of gender disparity in rheumatology are complex and multifactorial, including an interplay of historically late entrance of a larger number of women into medicine only in the second half of the 20th century, social and professional gender norms, organisational gender climate, unconscious gender bias, gender discrimination and a scarcity of senior female mentors and role models.6

Professional awards serve important functions in recognising exemplary individuals who uphold the values and objectives cherished by award-granting institutions.7 Unlike monetary remuneration directly linked to financial incentives, symbolic awards are tied predominantly to intangible social and professional gains afforded by prestige and eminence. Under certain conditions, awards can galvanise motivation and amplify performance.8 Therefore, professional awards can promote the values of equity, elevate social and professional standing of awardees, and increase the pool of senior role models.

To explore gender equity in rheumatology awards globally, we undertook a cross-sectional analysis of publicly available online data …