Female Reproductive Rights: Female animals used in the livestock industry are exploited for their young and do not have control over their own reproductive processes (1). The women’s rights movement was born out of similar oppression, where women still suffer patriarchal limits imposed upon them. This presents a “linked oppression thesis,” that gender and animal attitudes are connected (2-3).

Hierarchy: Patriarchal values have suppressed the advancement of women’s rights, while animal “husbandry” mimics patriarchy with historical views of a pyramid of life placing man on top (4). This idea goes further within female roles in agriculture, where in some countries women are the sole farmers, yet are denied the same rights as men and cannot own the land that they farm (5).

Valuing all life: Valuing the life of all beings contributes to a more robust moral framework that refrains from discrimination and exploitation of all beings regardless of species, sex, race, religion, or identity (6-7).

Correlation between Animal & Human Violence: Studies have shown that violence inflicted on animals is highly predictive of violence inflicted towards humans (8). In exploitative animal industries such as slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities, high levels of sexual harassment have been reported (9), as well as elevated levels of domestic violence within the surrounding communities (10).

Women held captive to domestic oppression via violence towards pets: “A 2017 study showed that 89% of women who had companion animals during an abusive relationship reported that their animals were threatened, harmed, or killed by their abusive partner.” (11).

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