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- March 8, 2017
International Women’s Day 2017, The Changing Face of Veterinary Science
50 years ago , Veterinary Science was considered a profession best suited for men . Few women took up the profession . Since then, much has changed . In several veterinary colleges across the world and even in some colleges in India, there are more women enrolled as students than men.
When and how did this shift happen ? Well several factors have contributed to the change. Livestock rearing patterns have changed. Small holdings have given way to large industrial units. The number of farms themselves have reduced.The James Herriott type of farms have almost disappeared in the UK . Even here in India , farms are changing. Not only have farms changed, the way of treating animals and methods of delivering medicines have changed too . As new technologies emerge, methods of animal restraint have improved as well. Companion animals have increased and there is a huge demand for veterinarians in urban areas. Pharmaceutical companies have begun hiring veterinarians too and there it does not matter whether they are male or female . Disciplines such as public health , food hygiene and epidemiology have developed and more and more women are absorbed into these fields .
However, while more women enter the profession it would be interesting to observe what further changes they bring to the field of animal care. if at all . More kindness and compassion ? greater attention to animal welfare ? better standards of public health and hygiene ?
At Anthra, we hope we can keep this discussion going .
Happy Women’s Day!