Women in veterinary medicine and zootechnics in Mexico

Date of publication: March 8, 2023

Author: Editorial ICAN

Currently in Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, women have gained ground and are now in the majority. According to what was documented by MVZ Ana María Román Díaz, professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics (FMVZ) of the UNAM, this is demonstrated by the fact that a total of 620 students entered the 2022 generation of this career at UNAM, of which 75.5% are women and 24.5% are men. 

It is worth mentioning that Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics spent more than 90 years in Mexico without women, since it was socially considered an exclusive profession for men basically linked to the field. However, in 1939, Ángeles Medina Navascués, born in Spain but a refugee in Mexico, entered the National School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics. María was part of the first generation of female veterinarians in our country. 

In the same year her sister (Africa) and 14 other girls entered this specialty. Africa was the first MVZ to graduate. Her thesis was on observations to fix the hematological constants of the dog, and in this generation also stood out:

- Guadalupe Suárez Michel: in addition to making relevant notes about trichinosis, she carried out the first QFB studies at UNAM.

- Aurora Velázquez Echegaray: was professor emeritus of virology and immunology at the FMVZ and, later, at the Instituto de Investigaciones Pecuarias.

- Natalia Santaella Cruz: her thesis ("Organization and operations") laid the foundations for agricultural practices in the livestock sector.

- Aline Schunemann de Aluja: in addition to UNAM, she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Her experience was key to the formation of other generations of veterinary pathologists, physicians focused on bioethics and animal welfare.

Veterinary doctors preserve animal and public health and welfare; they also guarantee the production of healthy and safe food from the production farms to the tables of Mexican consumers.

 On the occasion of International Women's Day 2021, the Federation of Colleges and Associations of Veterinary Zootechnicians of Mexico (FedMVZ) organized a panel with the participation of specialists working in different areas of this activity, who agreed that although the opening is greater than in previous decades, there is still much work to be done in this regard.

Despite the great work of female veterinarians, the specialists expressed that despite working in a professional environment, gender violence still abounds, ranging from verbal to physical, and pointed out salary gaps of up to 50%, desertion due to discrimination, and the need for more spaces for reporting and raising awareness of these issues. 

References

Women gain ground in the veterinary profession (2022, August 15). UNAM Gazette. https://www.gaceta.unam.mx/ganan-terreno-las-mujeres-en-la-profesion-veterinaria/

Hernandez, M. A. (2021, August 16). The first Mexican female Veterinary Zootechnicians. Veterinary Experience. https://www.experiencia.vet/blog/uncategorized/las-primeras-mujeres-medicas-veterinarias-zootecnistas-mexicanas/

There is room to respect women in the veterinary profession: FedMVZ(n.d.). Porcicultura.com. Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://www.porcicultura.com/destacado/En-el-gremio-veterinario-si-hay-espacio-para-respetar-a-las-mujeres:-FedMVZ