University Accused of Sexism For Offering Preference to Men for Veterinary Scholarship

Article here. Excerpt:

'The University of Sydney in Australia has come under fire after giving preference to male students in a scholarship of nearly $30,000 to study at female-dominated veterinary medicine course, accusing the institution of sexism.

The Prof Marsh Edwards AO scholarship, offered for the first time this year, will award one successful applicant $6,750 a year for four years to students enrolled in the postgraduate doctor of veterinary medicine degree at the University of Sydney, The Guardian Australia reports.

In the press release, the scholarship claims that it will give preference to “male applicants who are from rural and regional areas with an interest in large animal practice and intended to work in rural veterinary science”.

This has sparked accusations of sexism, despite the fact that the veterinary medicine course is dominated by women and, according to the university spokeswoman, “over 90%” of new students in the course are expected to be female.

The university’s Women’s Collective has urged the university to drop “male” from the eligibility requirements to “send a clear message to all students that sexism and discrimination on campus is unacceptable”.
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The University administration also pointed out that numerous scholarships were offered exclusively for women, aimed at increasing the participation of women in subjects where they are underrepresented.'