Women have been fighting for their right to equal opportunities in the animal ag industry for a long time. When I was in college and decided to go for my masters in the U.S., I joined two of my colleagues to go to Cornell University. Both females, one went to poultry with me, the other to dairy. Both have successful careers.
At that time, I had several female fellows at the then Department of Poultry Science, sharing labs and experiences. I am sure all these women have been carving out a future in poultry and related fields.
Working with women has always been a pleasure and personally I make no distinctions, although I admit that I may have had some learned behaviors. However, it has not been intentionally.
Today, 35 years later, I collaborate with women in my work in many areas. Marketing, for instance, is dominated by women. Many are marketing managers for Latin America and for companies in feed additives, genetics or animal health. Not to mention professors and researchers in many universities and companies, as well as veterinarians. Some women are CEOs or have senior positions in poultry companies. Although, it is still only a few.
Another area where women are present is trade associations. In fact, the Latin American Poultry Association (ALA) has a female secretary general.
The last area I would like to mention is live production which still has few women, but participation is growing. In fact, I am writing a story on a Cargill broiler breeder farm in Colombia fully managed by women which will appear in Poultry International soon.
With this humble blog, I would like to praise women, but in particular, those that are dedicating their efforts, intelligence and time to the Latin American poultry industry, as well as motivating the newcomers to continue their struggle for equal conditions. I would also like to motivate men in decision-making processes to open their minds to include more women. Happy International Women’s Day!
What do you think?
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