Entertainment

University slammed over veterinary scholarship that 'gives preference to male students'

University slammed over veterinary scholarship that 'gives preference to male students'
University slammed over veterinary scholarship that 'gives preference to male students' University slammed over veterinary scholarship that 'gives preference to male students'

A university in Australia is under fire over a new scholarship for veterinary medicine degree that gives preference to male applicants.

The University of Sydney’s 27,000 dollar (£16,500) scholarship is available to students who are enrolled in the postgraduate doctor of veterinary medicine degree course.

It states “preference will be given to applicants who are from rural and regional areas, male, interested in large animal practice, intend to work in rural veterinary science and are Australian citizens”.

The successful applicant for The Prof Marsh Edwards AO scholarship, which is being offered for the first time this year, will receive 6,750 dollars (£4,110) a year for four years.

(Daniel Neubauer/Flickr)

News of the scholarship was met with anger among female students.

A female student, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was “very surprised” with the preference and thought it was “a mistake”.

She said: “When I read the scholarship, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I thought it had to be a mistake. It makes me think that they care more about money than my right to equal opportunities.

“Female graduates of vet school are still paid less, from day one. I just think it shows very little thought into the causative agents of under representation of women in Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).”

(The Prof Marsh Edwards AO scholarship brochure screenshot)

A University of Sydney spokeswoman said the preference for male applicants had been requested by the donor, adding the scholarship does not exclude females and is open to all veterinary science students – who are “overwhelmingly female”.

She said: “Of this year’s graduate entry for the doctor of veterinary medicine students over 90% of the intake is expected to be female. This is a trend seen over the past five years along with an increasing trend away from rural practice.

“As such it is consistent with the university’s support of actions to address and encourage diversity and under representation in certain disciplines or professions.”

She said the university “was satisfied it is complying with the law” and has offered scholarships aimed at increasing the participation of women in subjects where they were under represented.

(University of Sydney’s Women’s Collective)

Imogen Grant, a member of the university student group Women’s Collective, said gender should not be a deciding factor in selecting applicants.

She said: “Scholarships exist to alleviate structural barriers to receiving an education and preferencing male applicants reinforces the gender divide. Affirmative action should only be given to structurally oppressed groups.

“Just because something resides within an exemption within the law, does not mean that is how the law should be implemented. It is no excuse for the university to be complacent about discrimination.

“Funding issues are a big part of many people’s decision about whether or not to pursue study. This scholarship would force many women to self-exclude.

(The Prof Marsh Edwards AO scholarship brochure screenshot)

“Making gender a deciding factor between applicants illustrates that a woman’s right to an education is not as important as her male counterparts.”

Another female student, who also wished to remain anonymous, added: “The barriers that prevent men from entering vet science are not the same barriers that prevent women from entering nearly every other academic discipline.

“Men are not being prevented from entering veterinary medicine because of some social, political or economic barrier of oppression.

“They are choosing to accept positions in other fields of academia that female students do not have access to. This is important to clarify that their low numbers are a by-product of privilege and not oppression.”