Dairy Women Ireland (DWI) has set a target to increase its membership to 2,000 by 2025, along with appointing regional leaders and teams.
The group held its inaugural conference yesterday (Saturday, November 26) at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) campus in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
“Our mission is to build a meaningful network across Ireland where we can empower women through education, upskilling and knowledge share,” Ciara Lynch, chair of DWI, told the conference.
Dairy Women Ireland
The organisation was brought together 19 months ago by Lynaire Ryan and Paidi Kelly through their work in Macra Agricultural Skillnet courses.
This year, DWI has held six meetings in members’ kitchens across the country which were attended by over 120 women in total.
“We’ve reached our initial target of 200 members by December 2022 and our focus is to grow our network to over 2,000 individuals by 2025. It is a huge task, but we are so confident that we can do it.
“Our focus for the coming years is to develop regional teams and regional leaders.
“We can learn from those who have walked the path before us and we can see if we can find an easier route for those coming behind us,” Lynch said.
The inaugural conference, sponsored by Tirlán and TUS, focused on the theme of empowering women in the dairy industry.
The audience included women who had been farming for their entire lives, those who had recently entered the industry through marriage and young female farmers beginning their careers.
Dr. Anne-Marie Butler, head of education in Teagasc, told attendees that empowerment begins from within.
“Empowerment is recognising what you do every day that you take for granted; all the balls that are in the air and all the things that get done without being though about.
“So I would say to you, be very proud of yourselves. Be very proud of what you do and learn from those around you,” she said.
The event included several group sessions where attendees discussed grassland management, environmental challenges, interacting with banks and their own well-being.
Identity
In her keynote address, Dr. Nollaig Heffernan said that research from Dairy Australia has shown that dairy farmers have over 170 skills.
The independent management consultant, who specialises in leadership and organisational psychology, encouraged attendees to explore how their transferable skills can be used to benefit their farm and the industry.
“Rather than waiting to be told what your value is, ask yourself what value can I add.
“To achieve in your dairy business it is important to have impact. To have impact you need to identify opportunities,” the Tipperary woman said.
Heffernan highlighted the issue of women using minimising language when referring to themselves as “just a farmer’s wife”.
“We all know in agriculture that there is nothing ‘just’ about being a farmer’s wife; there’s a whole pile to being a supportive entity in the business.
“We are changing identity all the time, if we get hung up on that label, we will be frustrated. But, most importantly, it is up to you to decide what your identity is.”
Heffernan also stressed the need for women to “proactively communicate”.
“Nobody has a can opener with them that they open up your head and know your thoughts. You have got to express if you are unhappy with something,” she said.
Dairy industry
Heffernan said that the Irish dairy sector is viewed as “elite” and is the envy of other countries.
However, she noted that “the biggest challenge for the Irish dairy industry is not having a voice”.
Farmers and farmers’ families are the best ambassadors for the industry, she told the conference.
“If we want this industry to survive and be attractive as an employer it is incumbent upon the people within it to sell it appropriately.”