In its commitment to diversity, sustainability, and innovation, Zoetis, a global leader in animal health, has been organizing the Women in Livestock Awards, since 2020, with the aim of giving voice and prominence to women farmers, veterinarians, and professionals in the sector, and highlighting their fundamental role in society.
This initiative stems from Zoetis’s commitment to equal opportunities, inclusion, and support for the rural environment. Women in Livestock aims to generate a positive and lasting impact on the public and professional perception of the role of women and all agents promoting change. It also seeks to enhance their visibility, foster their training, and recognize their contribution to livestock farming, the economy, and life in rural areas. Visibility, empowerment, and the creation of support networks have been consolidated as key pillars of this project.
An initiative that crosses borders
The impact of Women in Livestock has begun to resonate beyond Spain. In 2024, the initiative celebrated its first edition in Italy, under the name Allevamento al Femminile, maintaining the values of inclusion, visibility, and female leadership in the livestock sector intact. This expansion marks an important step in Zoetis’s commitment to inclusion in the rural sphere at an international level and anticipates future implementations of the program in countries such as Chile, Mexico, and other regions of Latin America. This international growth consolidates the transformative reach of the program.
The Women in Livestock Project
This project is supported by the Association of Women of Agro-food Cooperatives of Spain (AMCAE) under the slogan “Woman & Life”, and is based on three fundamental pillars to support the work of these women:
· Communication through campaigns in media and digital channels, especially social networks, to highlight the key role these women play in society;
· Training with a comprehensive annual program aimed at improving the production of different livestock species. Its objective is to train and share technical and business management knowledge, thus contributing to greater professionalization of the sector. More than 2,500 women —farmers, veterinarians, businesswomen…— have already participated in these webinars;
· Recognition through the creation of the Zoetis Women in Livestock Award, which seeks to distinguish the trajectory or activity of women whose livestock projects are innovative and add value to their communities. Initiatives that respond to specific needs of the sector, stand out for their creativity, efficiency, or sustainability are valued.
In the latest edition, the awards were given to Aurora Vaquero and Lola Murillo, veterinarians specialized in the poultry sector, for their joint work at the company Avimosa, where they achieved milestones such as the automation of the incubation room.
Additionally, Paloma Camino, an Asturian farmer, was recognized in the innovation category for her work in recovering ancestral traditions, such as the transhumance of animals between two councils, revaluing sheep and goats. Stories like these reflect the importance of highlighting female talent in the livestock sector.
A reality that needs to change
According to data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), the presence of women in the agricultural sector has decreased from 40% to 31% since the 2008 crisis. However, their role as owners has grown: the number of women starting businesses in the rural world has increased by 22%, despite this, entrepreneurship remains predominantly male. Although the percentage of women owners has increased from 28% to 30%, their recognition as workers has decreased, highlighting a concerning structural invisibility.
This scenario reflects persistent inequalities between women and men in rural areas, resulting from still entrenched traditional structures. Nevertheless, women play a key role in territorial and social cohesion and act as a driving force for innovation and entrepreneurship in these areas. Therefore, the Women in Livestock project works to transform this reality, promoting more equitable conditions, greater visibility, and real opportunities for rural women.
This inequality is not limited to the livestock field. It is also present in other key areas of the sector. According to a report published in December 2024 by SMC Spain of FECYT, in collaboration with the Gureiker research group from the University of the Basque Country, about 57% of women who have communicated on scientific topics, such as virology or vaccines, have suffered some form of harassment or questioning of their professional capacity. These data underscore the urgency of continuing to build safe, inclusive, and respectful environments for all women who contribute to the advancement of the livestock sector from different fields.
“Women have always been an essential part of the livestock sector: as farmers, veterinarians, scientists, entrepreneurs, or technicians. What we seek with initiatives like Ganadería en Femenino is to give them the place they deserve, make their leadership visible, and promote real and lasting inclusion. At Zoetis, we firmly believe that a more inclusive livestock sector is also a more innovative, stronger, and more sustainable one. Therefore, we want to continue promoting spaces where stories, experiences, and knowledge can be shared, and strengthen alliances with those who share this vision for the future.”, Diego García, General Director of Zoetis Spain and Senior Vice President for the Southern Europe Cluster
Participation in the VI edition of Ganadería en Femenino is open from June 1st until September 30th, 2025. If you are a veterinarian, livestock entrepreneur, researcher, or promote inclusion projects in this sector, we want to evaluate your application.
All the information is available at this link: https://www2.zoetis.es/ganaderia-en-femenino/premios/
More information at www.zoetis.es/ganaderia-en-femenino/.
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