7 Jul 2025
British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society co-founder and co-author of a damning paper, Navaratnam Partheeban, says: “if we’re going to be role models for society we want to stand up.”
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Image: © Syda Productions / Adobe Stock
The veterinary sector must “get our own house in order” when it comes to combating discrimination, says the co-author of a new study on racism within the profession.
The study, published in BMC Psychology, surveyed BAME members of the vet sector on racist incidents they had experienced within it, with respondents reporting frequent instances of racism from colleagues, clients and student peers.
British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society co-founder and paper co-author Navaratnam Partheeban said: “If we’re going to be role models for society we want to stand up.
“We need to get our own house in order and we need to be the example of we don’t tolerate racism or homophobia or sexism, this is our standard.”
“I think a lot of vets of colour will relate to a lot of those experiences, but it might be shocking for white people to see that, because they won’t notice these things are happening.”
The farm vet said racism “can’t just die” on its own and better awareness and education on subjects such as diversity, colonialism and white privilege, both within the profession and “embedded within the curriculum” at university, were key.
He said: “There’s got to be less of this performative allyship and more real allyship and more support for people who want to become allies to try and make change.”
But he added that “change only happens when leadership takes control”.
Mr Partheeban said institutions like the RVC and BVA have some “great” resources in this area but “it’s still hidden somewhere” and more can be done to “expose these things”.
He also suggested employing a “stick and carrot” approach of “celebrating and normalising diversity” and its benefits, but also “repercussions if individuals are bringing our profession down”.
The vet believes employers can improve recruitment and retention by collaborating with staff to ensure they feel supported or stopping serving clients who have been racist.
He said: “An employer who’s willing to sack a client because of something so serious can mean a huge amount, [not] just for the individual but also the rest of the team.
“Imagine the rest of the team seeing a leader standing up for somebody for that – they’ll stand up for other things as well.”
He added: “If the leadership brings you in and supports you that way as an employee, you’re going to feel like you belong to that place and no amount of money can ever overrule that feeling.”
Mr Partheeban concluded that “if we all stand together united” to “set the values” as a profession, clients will have to abide by those values “because no vet will accept” them.
BVA president Elizabeth Mullineaux said the findings of the study were “deeply disappointing,” adding: “Facing this type of behaviour can be highly distressing, have a substantial impact on how valued and respected individuals feel, and affect their ability to fit into a workplace and the profession.
“We all have a role to play in ensuring everyone has a positive working experience and BVA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group plays a key role in ensuring we’re championing, supporting and representing the views and experiences of all our members across the work we do.”
BVNA president Lyndsay Hughes described the paper as “an important wake-up call that more absolutely must be done – both to encourage diversity into our profession, and to challenge the often-overlooked forms of racism which still persist.”
She said nurses experiencing racism “should know they are not alone” and can find support within the association’s members advisory service and mental health toolkit.
