The importance of a Gender Strategy for WOAH  

Until recently, the veterinary workforce was male-dominated, yet the industry is undergoing changes, with women now representing 80% of students in veterinary medicine in Member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the trend continues globally [3]. As a result, more women are entering the profession. However, seats at the decision-making table are still mostly occupied by men. For example, during Italy’s last elections for the 2025–2028 presidency of the 100 Italian Provincial Boards of Veterinary Practitioners, 37 men (representing 86%) were elected as new Presidents, as opposed to only six women (14%). Overall, there are now 18 women and 82 men out of 100 Presidents [4].

In most countries, women continue to be the primary caregivers in their families, facing different demands on their time than their male counterparts. Mothers of young children in particular have different needs to male colleagues who are also fathers. The cultural expectation placed on women worldwide to be caregivers affects their ability to fully engage in the workplace – for instance, attending after-work social events, taking on additional responsibilities that may require overtime or travel far from home, or pursuing further training and qualifications. While cultural norms also shape men’s roles in society, they are generally expected to be the primary breadwinners. Thus, men are more likely to take on responsibilities at work, be selected for additional training, allowed greater mobility and be offered more networking opportunities.

These differences impact how valued and comfortable women feel in the workplace, requiring employers to effect structural changes, such as providing maternity leave and ensuring women’s post-leave job security, as well as offering flexible working hours to accommodate women’s childcare needs. Some needs are more practical – for example, addressing the lack of suitable changing rooms for women [5], concerns for women’s safety when working late or in remote locations, not to mention the increased risk of zoonoses for women [6]. In addition, evidence shows that female veterinary professionals and paraprofessionals face discrimination from employers and farmers who question their ability to care for larger animals [7]. Women’s needs, if left unaddressed, may contribute to occupational segregation, with more women being directed toward or opting for employment in private urban clinics. In turn, this may lead to shortages of veterinary professionals in rural locations, as highlighted during a follow-up Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) mission in Sri Lanka in 2024 [R. Srivastava, personal communication, 2024]. Ultimately, this has significant implications for animal health management in rural areas where most livestock is concentrated. The solution is not simply to attract more men into the profession to address the rural labour shortage, but for key animal health stakeholders – including universities, veterinary schools, veterinary services and private providers – to document and address these challenges.

A growing body of research documents the distinct roles that men and women play throughout livestock value chains [8,9]. In female-headed households, pastoralist women actively take on the role of seeking animal health services and, more broadly, women are crucial in ensuring household food security. However, despite the vital role played by women in animal husbandry, many studies report that women face barriers in accessing animal health services [9]. Beyond gender, other factors, such as age, marital status and household position, influence women’s livestock ownership, their participation in decision-making, and their access to resources, including extension services, market information or financial support [10,11]. While research in this area is still in its infancy, existing data is telling.  

For example, a study in Kenya on the adoption of the East Coast Fever vaccine revealed marked differences between male- and female-headed households, with adoption rates of 41% and 19%, respectively [12]. This disparity was attributed to gender inequalities, including women’s limited access to education, finances and decision-making power. Similarly, a study in Uganda found that women, despite being key caregivers to small ruminants, were less likely to have access to information about vaccines [13]. Furthermore, research in Central and South America has emphasised that women play a pivotal role in cattle farming, noting that ignoring this role can negatively impact herd efficiency and sustainability [14]. These studies underscore the importance of approaching animal health management through the lens of gender.  

Beyond livestock herders, differences in education levels between men and women have been identified as a potential factor influencing awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). For instance, a scoping study in Cambodia found that 74% of male farmers had heard of AMR, compared to only 38% of female farmers. The same study concluded that disparities in the knowledge and behaviour of men and women regarding antibiotic use were further influenced by context and other intersecting factors, such as poverty levels and geographic remoteness [15]. Moreover, a provincial study in Vietnam found that while drug vendors were predominantly men, the sales assistants – who were often women and typically relatives with limited education – were less equipped to provide appropriate guidance on vaccination or drug administration.  

Together, these studies highlight not only the direct impact of gender inequalities on animal health management but also the importance of context. Factors such as poverty, geographic location, financial resources and access to education profoundly shape how disparities between men and women influence outcomes in the animal health sector. Additionally, these studies point to the pressing need for more comprehensive data to inform evidence-based policy-making.  

The profile of animal health professionals is evolving, and increasing research evidence documents the negative economic, social and environmental impacts of neglecting gender dimensions in animal health management. One Health specialists are also calling for greater attention to gender considerations [16,17,18]. The growing body of knowledge on how gender affects the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions – such as vaccination campaigns [7] or AMR interventions [19] – presents an opportunity for WOAH and its Members to integrate gender dimensions more prominently in their work. The WOAH Gender Strategy, set to be developed in 2025, will serve as a critical tool to guide WOAH and its Members to achieve more equal access to animal health services, aligning with the Organisation’s mandate. Alongside WOAH’s upcoming 8th Strategic Plan, the Gender Strategy will help consolidate WOAH’s work and impact.  

[1] World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Identifying Priorities Related to Gender in the Animal Health Sector. Paris (France): WOAH; 2023. Available at: https://bulletin.woah.org/?p=24557 (accessed on 4 February 2025).   

[2] World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). World Café on Gender: hosted by the WOAH Gender Task Force. Paris (France): WOAH; 2023. 14 p. Available at: https://doc.woah.org/dyn/portal/index.xhtml?page=alo&aloId=43484&espaceId=100 (accessed on 4 February 2025).  

[3] Castro F. Navigating Gender Dynamics: The Realities and Hopes for Women in Veterinary Medicine. Liverpool (United Kingdom): The Webinar Vet; 2025. Available at: https://thewebinarvet.com/blog/navigating-gender-dynamics-the-realities-and-hopes-for-women-in-veterinary-medicine (accessed on 31 January 2025).  

[4] Assemblee elettorali 2024 – avvisi di convocazione ed esiti. Rome (Italy): Federazione Nazionale Ordini Veterinari Italiani; 2024. Available at: https://www.fnovi.it/node/50944 (accessed 25 January 2025).  

[5] Manisha G, Suman RS, Singh BP, Pawale SS. Constraints Perceived by Women Veterinarians to Render their Services at Field Level in Telangana State. Indian Res J. Ext. Edu. 2024;24(1):104-7. Available at: https://api.seea.org.in/uploads/pdf/2024-78-104-107.pdf  (accessed 15 December 2024).  

[6] Cataldo C, Bellenghi M, Masella R, Busani L. One Health challenges and actions: Integration of gender considerations to reduce risks at the human-animal-environmental interface. One Health. 2023;16:100530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100530   

[7] Serra R, Ludgate N, Fiorillo Dowhaniuk K, McKune SL, Russo S. Beyond the Gender of the Livestock Holder: Learnings from Intersectional Analyses of PPR Vaccine Value Chains in Nepal, Senegal, and Uganda. Animals (Basel). 2022;12(3):241. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030241   

[8] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank. A Framework for Gender-Responsive Livestock Development. Contributing to a world free from hunger, malnutrition, poverty and inequality. Rome (Italy): FAO; 2023. 46 p. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc7155en  

[9] Buluma C, Kamel N, Foelster J. Bridging the gender gap in animal health services as a resilience pathway: Insights from pastoralist communities in Ethiopia and Kenya. Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) Knowledge; 2024. Available at: https://www.sparc-knowledge.org/news-blog/blog/bridging-gender-gap-animal-health-services-resilience-pathway-insights-pastoralist (accessed 10 December 2024).  

[10] Farnworth CR, Kantor P, Kruijssen F, Longley C, Colverson KE. Gender integration in livestock and fisheries value chains: emerging good practices from analysis to action. Int. J. Agric. Resour. Gov. Ecol. 2015;11(3-4):262-79. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJARGE.2015.074093   

[11] Kinati W, Temple EC, Baker D, Najjar D. Small ruminant value chain and empowerment: a gendered baseline study from Ethiopia. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 2023;7:1165792. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1165792   

[12] Jumba H, Kiara H, Owuor G, Teufel, N. Are there gender differences in access to and demand for East Coast fever vaccine? Empirical evidence from rural smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya. J. Agric. Rural Dev. Trop. Subtrop. 2020;121(2):219-31. https://doi.org/10.17170/kobra-202010191970   

[13] Acosta D, Ludgate N, McKune SL, Russo S. Who Has Access to Livestock Vaccines? Using the Social-Ecological Model and Intersectionality Frameworks to Identify the Social Barriers to Peste des Petits Ruminants Vaccines in Karamoja, Uganda. Front. Vet. Sci. 2022;9:831752. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.831752   

[14] Triana N, Burkart S. Gender and the cattle sector in Latin America: recent trends in literature. Cali (Colombia): International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); 2019. 12 p. Available at:  https://hdl.handle.net/10568/106845 (accessed on 5 December 2024).  

[15] Pham-Duc P, Sriparamananthan K. Exploring gender differences in knowledge and practices related to antibiotic use in Southeast Asia: A scoping review. PLoS One. 2021;16(10):e0259069. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259069   

[16] Barasa V. A one health approach to tackling AMR and why gender matters: findings from pastoralist communities in Tanzania. Front. Glob. Women’s Health. 2024;5:1429203. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2024.1429203   

[17] Galiè A, McLeod A, Campbell ZA, Ngwili N, Terfa ZG, Thomas LF. Gender considerations in One Health: a framework for researchers. Front. Public Health. 2024;12:1345273. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1345273   

[18] Garnier J, Savic S, Boriani E, Bagnol B, Häsler B, Kock R. Helping to heal nature and ourselves through human-rights-based and gender responsive One Health. One Health Outlook. 2020;2:22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-020-00029-0   

[19] Campbell ZA, Nguyen-Thi T, Terfa Z, Nguyen TVA, Bui VQ, Vu XT, Kawarazuka N. Gender, livestock, and antimicrobial resistance through the eyes of veterinary pharmacists – A case study from Thái Nguyên Province, Vietnam. International Livestock Research Institute; 2023. 8 p. Available at: https://cgspace.cgiar.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/ab16f1c2-b13b-4851-bede-cac9e3acb834/content (accessed on 13 December 2024).