The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has warned state bodies to “improve” the representation of women on their boards.
Speaking ahead of the opening of the first National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture in Portlaoise today (Wednesday, February 1), Minister Charlie McConalogue said he will refuse board nominations from bodies that are not meeting “gender representation targets”.
“In the case of the 12 state bodies for which I have responsibility, there is an under representation of women on these boards.
“I am reiterating the request of my predecessors in recent years in asking the chief executives of agri-business companies to support women within their companies expressing an interest in being appointed to the boards of state bodies and to encourage those who may not as yet have considered putting themselves forward,” the minister said.
Government policy has set a target of at least 40% of each gender on state boards.
Minister McConalogue said while there were some state bodies who had made “great progress”, others continue to lag behind.
“We can’t have a position where we are not reaching these important targets. Therefore over the course of the government all state bodies can leave no stone unturned in reaching these targets.
“I will be left with no other option but to refuse nominations put forward if they don’t help to reach our gender targets,” he warned.
The National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture conference, to be hosted by the minister, aims to examine “gender issues in farming” and the agri-food sector and explore how the landscape may change in the future.
Minister McConalogue has highlighted that there are an estimated 280,000 people working on farms in Ireland but only 27% (75,113) are female.
Latest statistics also indicate that while there are more than 130,000 farm holders, just 13% (16,900) are female.
Research suggests that fewer than half of all farm holders have a succession plan in place and of these 83% identified their successor as male.
Minister McConalogue believes that Ireland “cannot meet the challenges ahead” or “grasp opportunities” if there is an “under-representation of women, both within farming and across the sector”.
“We have included several measures in Ireland’s new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plan which will support greater gender equality.
“However, to meet our Food Vision 2030 goals of greater environmental, economic and social sustainability, greater women’s participation is crucial. It’s time to take the role of women farmers out of the shadows and put them firmly in the spotlight, I believe this National Women’s Dialogue will do that,” he added.
The conference today in Co. Laois will primarily focus on workshops and panel discussions with high-profile leaders from the worlds of farming, agri-food, and politics, contributing to the debate about gender and the future of women and farming.
These will include the former Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, who will chair the event; the former German Minister for Agriculture, Julia Klockner; Glanbia plc chief executive Siobhán Talbot; and Ciara Lynch, chairperson of Dairy Women Ireland.