7 February 2023. By AgForce General President Georgie Somerset.
A courageous redhead once said, “Though the sex to which I belong is considered weak you will nevertheless find me a rock that bends to no wind.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Queen Elizabeth I went on to become one of England’s greatest monarchs – no mean feat for a woman back then.
Thankfully, we’ve made huge leaps in gender equality since the Elizabethan days. But there is still a way to go – particularly when it comes to agriculture.
Only last week, the newly formed Cattle Australia was criticised for having just one woman on its board.
Many are now calling on the agriculture industry to ramp up its efforts to attract more women to representative roles - and I’m all for it.
At AgForce, there are no gender barriers - we are leading the way in equality, with women making up more than half (54 per cent) of our staff, compared to just 32 per cent in the industry.
Indeed, our boards and committees include many inspiring, resilient, and innovative women, all working together for the future of farming.
But it’s not surprising that agriculture is still lagging behind other industries in this field (bad pun intended).
It wasn’t until 1994 that Australian women were even legally recognised as farmers in their own right.
Prior to that, female farmers could only list their occupations as ‘domestics’ or ‘helpmates’, and in some shocking cases they were classed as ‘farmers’ wives’.
One of my goals when I became President of AgForce in 2018, was to change the public perception of agriculture and its people.
I believe in a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, and where difference is valued and celebrated.
Let us be proud of the contribution women make to Australia, agriculture, and the lives of those around us.
But let’s also not lose sight of how far we have to go in creating a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.