Characterizing Global Gender Representation in Veterinary Executive Leadership

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Higher Education
• Gender Studies

Background:

• The field of veterinary medicine is experiencing increasing feminization.
• Despite this trend, the representation of women in senior leadership positions within veterinary education globally remains under-examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gender composition of executive leadership in veterinary educational institutions worldwide.
• To identify regional trends and potential socioeconomic correlations with gender equity in veterinary academia.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive global survey of veterinary academic executives was conducted.
• Data from 720 veterinary schools across 118 countries were analyzed, focusing on gender representation among 2,263 executive leaders.

Main Results:

• Globally, 34.6% of executive leaders in veterinary education were inferred to be women.
• Specifically, 25.5% of top executives (deans or equivalents) were inferred to be women.
• National-level analysis revealed positive correlations between the proportion of women in executive teams and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gender Development Index (GDI), and a negative correlation with the Gender Inequality Index (GII).

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first global demonstration of gender inequity in veterinary educational leadership.
• Socioeconomic factors appear closely linked to gender equity within the profession.
• Further research is recommended to track gender representation across career stages and over time to monitor progress.