VN August 2023

Vetnuus | August 2023 10 Dr Nicola Colborne Female Vets in Practice I am a vet. I am also a runner, traveller, reader, book buyer (to be clear these are separate hobbies), baker, archer, friend, daughter, business owner, romantic partner, gardener, and dog mom. I can be all of these things thanks to the female pioneers that have come before me. Thanks to my Mom and Granny, who were themselves daughters, wives, andmothers and had careers. Thanks to teachers that believed in lots of little girls being whatever they dreamed of. Thanks to the vets who qualified 40-plus years ago as the only women in their class. Thanks to the female vets who stood their ground with farmers, racehorse trainers and dog owners to prove that they deserved their place in this field (sometimes held to higher standards than their male counterparts). And thanks to my classmates, for standing together, growing our profession and creating new standards. I ran the Sparwomen’s race thisweekend. One ofmany races that I have already and will run this year. But while writing this article so close to this race, I am left contemplating the plight of women in the veterinary industry. The history of women in the veterinary industry as we know it is fairly short. But there has been so much progress in this time. And I am so excited for our future. Let’s start with feminism. The Oxford Language definition of feminism: the advocacy of women’s rights based on the equality of the sexes. While there have been dramatic gains in terms of the right to vote and equal access to education (in most places) there are still many discrepancies to be found. In many fields, women receive lower pay than men for the same work and there is still a horrifying level of violence against women. The 2017 #metoo movement on social media highlighted the ongoing harassment experienced by women in the workplace. This movement was a response to the case of Harvey Weinstein, a Hollywood producer who was accused of sexually harassing women in the workplace. I was born in 1987. That puts me firmly in the millennial age group (born between 1982 and 1996) - also known as the “Me Me Me generation” (Litt). A generation of participation trophies and self-esteem boosting at every possible occasion. Add to this attending an all-girls high school and I believed not only that I could do anything I set my mind to but that as a woman, I could do it better than anyone else! Girls’schools (or at least the one I went to) have a weird juxtaposition of promoting an all-powerful female-driven world while still ensuring that you learn how to cook, sew and arrange flowers. A concept I have struggled with until recently. As with most vet students, especially in (relatively) recent years, being of above-average intelligence helped to cement the self-esteem bubble my generation was blessed (cursed) with. And so the “I can do anything I put my mind to (and better than a man)”mindset persisted. It took working for a few years to start to question my firm feminism. Maybe even though “I could do anything I put my mind to (and better than a man)” I didn’t want to. And maybe (although I am embarrassed to confess this took an awful lot longer to admit to myself) I was not always better at it. (Spot the millennial, Gen Xers!). My research now makes me realise that past me was guilty of sexism. The literature mentions three types of sexism: • Traditional sexism: supporting traditional gender roles, treating women as worse thanmen, and employing traditional stereotypes which portray women as less competent than men. • Modern sexism: denying gender discrimination (it is not a problem anymore), having a negative attitude towards women’s rights, denying the validity of claims made by women • Neosexism: This notion refers to ideologies that justify discrimination towards women based on competencies – 'men are effectively better competent for some things' – for example in managerial or leadership positions, and not on direct discrimination of women. Defenders of these ideas tend to ignore or deny the difficulties faced by women in society as influencing 'competencies'. (Nelson) By now I have realised that most people should go through these stages in their careers and lives. In recent years this has been referred to as “imposter syndrome” but I see it now as an opportunity for growth. To bump your head a bit, realise how little you actually know, and how much more learning and improving you can do. My career goals started out as an ordered checklist. I love lists and the structure of things. But life isn’t like that. While my career and life might have followed a predictable pattern from the outside, the reality and struggles along the way show a different story. I moved to the Lowveld for a progressive practice that seemed to practice high-quality veterinary care in a mixed-practice setting. Academic goals would happen after that.I started working at a time when veterinary job adverts stated the bare minimum - “Looking for a vet in a mixed practice with all the toys. New grads welcome.” How things have changed! I luckily happened to land with my bum in the butter in a practice that actually did align with my values and goals, a place that supported me and helped me grow through challenging cases and post-grad studies. West Acres Animal Hospital became my veterinary home. A place I did make my own by buying into the practice eventually.Albertus Coetzee has been one of themost influential mentors inmy life so far. A vet, friend and business partner tome but a father, husband andwell-loved colleague tomany others.Through Albertus, I have learnt that good medicine comes first. That this is honest, realistic and makes good business sense. That knowledge learnt and shared is one of the most exciting things about our profession. And that kindness costs nothing but is worth so so much. I see the aspirations he has for his son and daughter’s careers and for all the staff members that pass through our doors. I am so appreciative to have aligned myself with someone who sees the (female) future of the veterinary industry. My Dad always said that having children was the reward for everything good you ever did in your life and the punishment for everything bad, all rolled up into one little package. I don’t have children but I imagine practice ownership to be something similar. The work and responsibility that comes with this is immense. Having the livelihood and (in part) happiness of a whole team of people depending on you is an opportunity (and responsibility) for making such a difference in the shape of their lives. This has made me think about the women and men I directly influence (and who influence me), but also about the veterinary community at large and the future for us all. What makes women so attracted to being vets? Are the characteristics traditionally associatedwith femininity, not the same characteristics that make us outstanding vets? What is femininity anyway? The dictionary definition is “Qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women or girls”. Some classic feminine traits include being verbal and communicative, emotive or effusive, nurturing and having an appreciation for beautiful things. Femininity is the Qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women or girls >>> 11