Women have been at the forefront of animal activism in the U.S. and Great Britain since the 1800s.
Contemporary estimates suggest the same holds true today. In fact, The Animals’ Agenda report of two
1985 surveys concluded that “at all levels of participation, from rank-and-file to staff, informational and
leadership positions, women constitute the single most important driving force behind the animal rights
phenomenon” (Greanville and Moss 1985, 10). Studies report that women constitute 68 to 80 percent of
the animal rights movement (Jasper and Poulsen 1995; Lowe and Ginsberg 2002). Regardless of age,
political views, and educational level, women are more likely than men to be animal advocates (Kruse
1999). This lasting legacy begs the question: Why are there so many women in the animal rights
movement? Hypotheses in the current literature include gendered economic structures (fewer women
work outside the home and are thus able to devote more energy to animal causes), recruitment networks
(women are recruited to animal rights through animal welfare organizations), empathy based on shared
inequities (women relate to the abuse and oppression that animals suffer), social learning explanations
(emotional expression and caring is more acceptable for women than men), and biological theories
(women are born nurturers and are following their natural instincts). I found similar themes and opinions
among the activists in my qualitative study of women involved with animal rights work.
My study was conducted using 27 interviews with women animal rights activists, as well as
participant observation of various aspects of the movement, such as organizations, protests, and
conferences
. I directly asked women activists why they believed so many women were drawn to the
movement. I also considered their own “biographies”—stories of how and why they become involved.
The activists’ most prevalent responses included empathy based on shared inequities (12), social learning
explanations (12), and/or biological beliefs (10). Only two women mentioned that gendered economic
structures were related to the number of women involved in animal activism, and no one spoke about
animal welfare recruitment networks (although a few women’s personal stories included this).
GENDERED ECONOMIC STRUCTURES
One common hypothesis in the literature relates to gendered economic structures, mainly the idea that
1
For more details on the methodology of this study, see Gaarder (2005).
2
Convention