Gender and Professionalization: Experiences of Veterinary Practice in Ciudad Juárez, México

As more women enter science-based professions, barriers faced by women in terms of full participation in professional activities become useful to examine. This Thesis focuses on veterinary practice in Ciudad Juárez, México, to understand gender differences in professional work. Women\u27s enrollment in veterinary schools has increased substantially over time, and this Thesis seeks to provide a case study of how this feminization is reflected in gendered experiences of education and professional practice. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with women and men, the findings reveal how veterinarians negotiate gendered stereotypes in their field. This research argues that veterinary identity is performed by women and men under a framework of hegemonic masculinities. However, women and men also resist these gendered stereotypes through their work showing how veterinary practice is likely to be transformed in the future