Mary Long / stock.adobe.com
Veterinary medicine is one of the few STEM fields dominated by women and the majority of incoming students are women. However, although women dominate the field, they are significantly underrepresented in leadership positions within industry and higher education. A new study published in Journal of Veterinary Medical Education1 found that more than 90% of veterinary students are women in several countries around the world. This study is the first to show that there is a gender imbalance in leadership roles in most veterinary schools around the world, and it looks at regional patterns. Research also highlights the economic factors associated with gender equality in these settings.
To study this underrepresentation, researchers gathered data from 720 veterinary schools in 118 countries using an online search of each school’s webpage to obtain information about executive-level leaders and their gender representation. The data showed that of the 2263 executive leaders included, 784 (34.6%) were identified as women. Of the 733 top executives—deans or their equivalent—presented on university websites, 187 (25.5%) were identified as women.1
The study also found that wealthy countries and those with higher overall gender equality tend to have a higher representation of women in these leadership roles.1,2
“The veterinary profession and the education system that supports it is expanding rapidly around the world,” said Neil Vezeau, research project coordinator, in a release. “It’s only natural that we have efforts to track gender composition in a field that is undergoing significant demographic change.”2
The proportion of women at executive level in education has been shown to be relatively higher in the Scandinavian region, Russia, and Australia. The proportion is somewhat lower in Mexico, Central America, and South Asia. The United States has a proportion level of 0.5, meaning that half of the leadership positions for veterinary education are held by women.2 Most countries do not have equal proportions.
“We have created a picture of how far we have come regarding gender equality, but also how far we have to go. Our results serve as an indicator for what may happen in other field,” said Julia Silva Seixas, a member of the research team.
The full study and data can be found at Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.1
Sources
- Women are underrepresented in leadership in veterinary education. News release. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education. February 27, 2024. Accessed March 4, 2024.
- Vezeau N, Kemelmakher H, Silva Sexas J, et al. Global gender representation in veterinary executive leadership is characterized. J Know With Ed. 2024;50(7). https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2023-0092
