Anger at U of Sydney Over Scholarship Favoring Men

Female students and their advocates at the University of Sydney are criticizing the creation of a new scholarship for veterinary students that will favor men in the application process, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The scholarship criteria state that "preference will be given to applicants who are: from rural or regional areas, male, interested in large animal practice … [and] an Australian citizen." In Australia, as in the United States, enrollments in veterinary programs are majority female, and some universities maintain scholarships for women. But critics of the new award say that women continue to face discrimination in the field. University officials have defended the scholarship, noting that women can apply and that preference does not mean that only men will receive the awards.