This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks to Dr Claudia Cardoso from the University of Pretoria. Dr Claudia Cardoso’s interest in veterinary science was ignited when she was 10 years old, watching a local veterinarian diagnose and treat her sick dog, an ordinary consultation that, for a young girl, revealed something extraordinary. In that moment, she witnessed “knowledge in action”— a spark that would shape her life’s path.

Dr Cardoso shares what it meant to rebuild her career after immigrating to South Africa without speaking English, navigating professional scepticism in a male-dominated production environment, and persevering

Veterinary Science Beyond the Clinic

With nearly two decades of experience, Dr Cardoso offers a window into the diverse realities of veterinary work beyond companion animals. Her expertise spans animal health, reproduction, and production systems — areas critical to food security and rural livelihoods.

Through university-led outreach programmes, she worked directly with underserved rural communities, providing veterinary care where access is limited or non-existent. She recounts memorable cases where timely intervention, education on nutrition, and preventive health measures helped farmers preserve entire herds, safeguarding both animals and household livelihoods. These stories underscore the vital role veterinarians play in development, sustainability, and social impact.

Gender, Expertise, and Earning Trust

Veterinary production systems are still widely perceived as male-dominated spaces, particularly at farm management level. Dr Cardoso speaks about moments when her expertise was questioned or her advice challenged, not because of its scientific merit, but because of who she was.

Rather than internalising these experiences, she explains how she learned to navigate them with technical rigour, clarity, and evidence-based outcomes. By presenting facts, outlining consequences, and allowing results to speak for themselves, she asserts a powerful lesson: credibility is built through consistency, confidence, and measurable impact.

Animal Production, Ethics, and Feeding the World

Dr Cardoso demystifies animal production for listeners, explaining why it is central to global food systems. With a growing global population, the challenge is not simply producing more food, but doing so ethically, sustainably, and with respect for animal welfare and environmental limits.

She explores how genetics, nutrition, disease prevention, and welfare standards must work together for animals to reach their full potential, and why productivity without care is neither viable nor ethical. Her insights reveal the delicate balance between profitability, responsibility, and long-term sustainability in modern livestock systems.

One Welfare: An Interconnected World

Central to Dr Cardoso’s philosophy is the One Welfare framework, the understanding that animal welfare, human wellbeing, environmental health, and food security are inseparable. She explains how farmers’ livelihoods are directly tied to the health of their animals, and how crises affecting livestock often place people at personal risk as they attempt to protect what sustains them.

Lessons in Resilience, Curiosity, and Purpose

Dr Cardoso closes the show with a message to girls and women to remain curious, pursue the education or career that calls to you, and trust that your contribution matters — not only to yourself, but to society at large.

Tune in for more…

Dr Claudia Cardoso – Animal Production Veterinarian: University of Pretoria – Remain Curious