It could take “70 to 80 years” to close the pay gap between male and female vets, one of the authors of the report that originally identified the gender disparity has predicted.
An experiment outlined in the report “Gender discrimination in the veterinary profession” (VT48.47) suggested a significant proportion of employers subconsciously offered junior male vets between £1,100 and £3,300 more salary than females, even though each had precisely the same qualifications and experience.
Panel debate
In a panel debate following the research’s unveiling at London Vet Show, one of the authors, Michelle Ryan of the psychology department at the University of Exeter, was asked how long she thought it would take before the sexes were treated with absolute parity.
She said: “The research suggests if we look at the actual change in the size of the gender pay gap, it’s going to be between 70 and 80 years before we get there – that’s if we continue at the same rate of change.
“If you look at the statistics, we think of gender equality as something that slowly increases over time, but it’s actually not like that.”
- Read the full story in the 3 December issue of Veterinary Times.
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