We are excited to present the inaugural Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Special Issue to celebrate the diversity across the study of hernia surgery.

Gender disparities, minorities discriminations, barriers related to migration, and limited access to healthcare because of low-income and deprived social networks, are still routinely embedded in current culture, systems, policies, and practices, perpetuating a vicious cycle of inequity.

Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery joins the European Hernia Society to ensure equity in hernia surgery worldwide today and build a more sustainable future for all tomorrow.

The aim of this Special Issue was to publish a collection of articles focusing on the evidence examining race, gender-biased, socioeconomic and regional inequity in hernia surgery. We welcomed submissions from the whole field of hernia surgery, from basic to clinical and translational studies, aiming to specifically tackle the structural factors resulting in inequity in hernia surgery. We also encouraged contributions as opinions, personal perspectives, review, clinical experiences, cohort series, as well as clinical studies covering, but not limited to, the following issues:

• Ethnic and racial disparities in hernia surgery access, management and outcomes;
• Regional inequities, hernia surgery tourism and migrants’ outcomes;
• Sex and gender inequity in hernia surgery access, management and outcomes;
• Changes of policies/interventions to address inequities in hernia surgery;
• Building global access to hernia surgery;
• Diversity and inclusion in clinical trials;
• Diversity and inclusion in academic career progression.

Keywords: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, inequity, gender-biased, socioeconomic