In 2019 for the first time in history, women made up more than 50% of incoming U.S. medical students. Despite this increase, there has not been proportionate growth of female representation in surgical specialties like otolaryngology, where women comprise just 34.3% of residents and 14.5% of practicing otolaryngologists. The gender gap is even worse within subspecialties like head & neck and facial plastics. Women can achieve the knowledge base and technical skill set required of otolaryngology, so why aren’t more of them choosing it? The presence of female role models and the mentorship they can provide is crucial for recruitment of female medical students into otolaryngology. At just 34%, women are underrepresented in academic otolaryngology appointments, and only 15% of leadership positions within otolaryngology departments are held by women. It is vital for otolaryngology programs to focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting women. Beyond mentorship, successful recruitment and retainment of females within academia relies on improving culture and climate within training programs. In a 2018 AAO-HNS survey sent to female otolaryngologists, only 31% felt residency training was harassment-free, and a staggering 83% felt it is “somewhat to very difficult” to manage work-life balance. It is integral to understand and break down the barriers that women encounter in a surgical residency, such as unconscious gender biases and demands of family life. By the end of this session, participants will understand the current barriers women face, how to empower female trainees, and how to work towards an equitable practice environment. Both men and women can close the gender gap in otolaryngology. Concepts can be extrapolated to improve recruitment and retainment of other underrepresented populations within our field.