Project launched in Mayo to support future of women in farming
A project working to support women in farming with "practical solutions, skills and confidence" has officially launched in north Co. Mayo.
At an event recently at the Kennedy Glasgow Centre in Ballina, the local community gathered to celebrate the beginning of the 'Making Farms Work for Women' project.
The project is funded through the European Innovation Partnership (EIP), co-funded by the EU and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The project is working alongside 60 women farmers across north Co. Mayo to address real, everyday challenges on farms.
The launch event included contributions from project lead Claire Brennan and members of the project team, along with MEP Maria Walsh and councillor Sean Carey.
Practical solutions
Congratulating the operational group on the launch, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said: "It's great to see this farmer-led project bringing people together to explore practical solutions to the challenges faced by women farmers.
"Projects such as this invite everyone to explore what can be done to create an inclusive agricultural sector that provides equal opportunities for women and young girls.
"I’m confident that this innovative EIP project will have positive outcomes into the future, not just for women farmers, but for the wider community in Mayo and beyond."
The project has been created in response to the "real barriers many women continue to face in agriculture".
These range from "tools and machinery designed for larger frames to the physical demands of livestock handling, the balancing of farm work with family responsibilities and the lack of confidence that can come from years on the margins of agricultural life".
Over the next three years, the project will work with 60 women farmers across north Mayo through farm visits, hands-on workshops and practical training.
It will focus on improving access to more suitable tools and equipment, building confidence in livestock handling, and creating practical, lasting changes that make farming more workable and inclusive.
Speaking at the launch, project lead Claire Brennan said there has been great support from the local community.
"This initiative has grown from real conversations with women in farming here in north Mayo and from a clear need for practical solutions that make farm life more manageable, more inclusive and more sustainable," Brennan said.
"We also hope it will help inspire more young women and girls to see farming as something they can be part of and thrive in."
