Characterizing Global Gender Representation in Veterinary Executive Leadership

Abstract

Veterinary medicine is an increasingly feminized field, with growing numbers of veterinary students and professionals identifying as women. Increased representation of women in senior veterinary education leadership has not yet been examined across all global regions. To address this question, we compiled a comprehensive list of veterinary academic executives from veterinary educational institutions listed by the World Veterinary Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the World Organisation for Animal Health. In total, data from 720 veterinary schools in 118 countries were obtained via an online search of each school's webpage to retrieve information on executive-level leaders and their gender representation. Out of 2263 executive leaders included, 784 (34.6%) were inferred to be women. Of 733 top executives—deans or their equivalents—187 (25.5%) were inferred to be women. At the national level, the proportion of women in executive teams was positively correlated with Gross Domestic Product, Gender Development Index, and negatively correlated with Gender Inequality Index. This is the first study to demonstrate inequity in the gender composition of veterinary educational leadership across the majority of veterinary schools worldwide, and regional trends thereof. It also identifies potential socioeconomic issues closely connected to gender equity in these spaces. To monitor progress towards gender equity within the profession, future work is needed to assess gender representation over different phases of veterinary career tracks, including in student populations. Analysis of gendered trends over time will also help to establish trends and evaluate progress in gender equity.