The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, was the recent setting for a very interesting ISBE Gender & Enterprise Network, HEA-sponsored, discussion workshop on ‘Gender in Entrepreneurship Education’ on December 8th 2011. The workshop, which was led by Professor Colette Henry at RVC’s Centre for Veterinary Enterprise, was also supported by Vets4Pets and was well attended by veterinary educators, gender theorists, entrepreneurship educators and practitioners with an interest in gender and enterprise.
The day began with a presentation from Prof. Susan Marlow, University of Birmingham, outlining key gender concepts and discussing the process of gendering with particular relevance to gendering of occupations. Dr Sally Jones, University of Leeds, then discussed the gendering of entrepreneurship education in Higher Education before Prof. Stephen May, Deputy President and VP Education Royal Veterinary College, outlined the gender shift in the veterinary profession and set the context for discussing the impact on the profession from a feminizing profession where women were not engaging in small business ownership. Then followed an interesting discussion on the individual and structural barriers that may impede women’s entrepreneurial activity in a feminized profession that remained sex-typed male.
Three discussion groups then explored topics such as: the impact of highlighting gender upon male application rates to feminizing professions; the future of the veterinary profession if no interventions occur and lastly, good practices in delivering entrepreneurship education using a gender-aware approach in a feminizing profession.
A summary report will be prepared summarising the key discussion points from the day that will be shared in the New Year. For further information about upcoming GEN events and publication opportunities, please contact chris@isbe.org.uk, join us on LinkedIn (Gender and enterprise Network) or follow us on twitter (@ISBEGEN)