Thematic analysis of comments from a survey on perceptions of gender bias among members of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in bovine practice in the United States

Abstract

The gender composition of food animal practice differsfrom other veterinary practice types, and women are relativelyunderrepresented in food animal practice. The reasonsare unknown, and a possible factor is gender bias. There areno reports specific to bovine practice concerning the extentor perception of gender bias. American Association of BovinePractitioners members in the US were invited to participatein an anonymous online survey regarding gender bias inbovine practice, and thematic analysis was performed on thefree text comments. There were 207 responses (99 womenand 108 men), which included over 1000 comment extractsthat were coded in the thematic analysis. The most commonthemes associated with gender differences in survey commentswere practices not wanting to hire women becauseof lack of strength or stamina, clients asking for the maleveterinarian, and pregnancy- or children-related issues. Theresults of this thematic analysis support the assertion thatgender bias exists in bovine practice in the US.