A gender insight review by working animal charity Brooke has revealed that women remain significantly underrepresented, undervalued and underserved within animal health systems across Africa, Asia and Latin America.The review discovered that although women make up the majority of veterinary students in many regions, they account for just 20-30% of practising animal health professionals in low and middle-income countries. Women are entering veterinary education in record numbers, but structural barriers are pushing them out of frontline and decision-making roles, said Ellie Parravani, external affairs advisor at Brooke.This is not only a gender equity issue, but it is also a systems failure with real consequences for animal health and rural resilience. Cultural issuesCultural norms in many regions limit women farmers interactions with male veterinarians which consequently leaves major gaps in access to care. Women veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals (VPPs) are uniquely positioned to close this gap, improving access to timely treatment, vaccination, and disease prevention. Genderresponsiveveterinary services are consistently linked toearlier disease detection, higher vaccination uptake, improved animal welfare practices, and better biosecurityoutcomes. Evidence from FAO andBrooke country partnersshowsthat when women animal health practitioners are trained, supported, and deployed, disease surveillance improves,including forhigh-impacttransboundary diseases such asfoot-and-mouth disease,pestedes petits ruminants, and avian influenza.Despite their proven impact, women animal health practitioners face several challenges such as gender bias, pay inequality,limited access to practical training, mobility and safety risks, and disproportionate caregiving burdens.ChallengesWomen often report being paid less thantheirmale colleagues for the same work or are denied services by farmers who question their competence,particularly in largeanimalpractice.The issue of safety is also a big concern for women, particularly in remote areas, where risks include harassment violence, and unreliable transport.Gender-responsive training programmes for women VPPs in Nigeria and Uganda resulted in improved livestock survival, increased productivity, and a 53% rise in average monthly income for participants. These gains extend beyond animal health. Increased income and professional recognition for women practitioners strengthen household resilience, improve food security, and contribute to broader rural economic stability. Not optional but essentialThe evidence is clear, empowering women animal health practitioners is not optional but essential, continued Ellie. Gender equity must be embedded as a core design principle in animal health policies, training systems, and workforce development strategies. When women are supported to thrive as animal health practitioners, animals are healthier, diseases are detected sooner, and rural communities are more resilient. The benefits extend far beyond gender equity; women strengthen entire animal health systems. New initiativesBrooke has launched several initiatives to help overcome these challenges and support women into animal health systems. These initiatives include:Genderdisaggregatedneeds assessmentsBlended online andface-to-facetrainingandmentorshipChildcaresensitive schedulingandtransport supportAnimalhandling skills trainingMaleallyship programmesChallenge stereotypes and biased normsin communities and animal health systems.There are also signs of change from global organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) which hasestablisheda gender task force and isdeveloping a global gender strategy.Recent continental workforce recommendations in Africa call for equal pay, safer workplaces, gender responsive education, and leadership pathways for women in veterinary services. Image Brooke.More from Your HorseGroundwork exercises for horses to build trustGrowing resistance to antibiotics is a major threat to horse health and this is whyDo draw reins ever have a place when training horses? BHS coach weighs up the debateThe post Gender barriers hindering animal health progress, says Brooke review appeared first on Your Horse.