The new president of Dairy Women Ireland (DWI) Fiona O'Donnell is hoping to further increase membership in the organisation over the coming year.

Dairy Women Ireland held its annual conference in Charleville, Co. Cork today (Friday, November 21), focused on "building success and breaking barriers".

The organisation, established four years ago at a kitchen table event in Co. Kilkenny, aims to empower and educate women across the dairy sector.

Women

Fiona O'Donnell told Agriland that having women's voices heard in the industry has been "an age old problem".

"More and more nowadays, it is to the forefront of people's minds and women are definitely more included and that diversity piece is definitely there," she said.

She added that women's valuable contributions through their work and skills are "vital to the success of the dairy farms across the country".

O'Donnell decided to join her husband fulltime on their farm in Co. Tipperary five years ago, following a career in the banking sector.

"It's given me great work-life balance and we've carved out an income for the two of us on the farm. My skill sets have been brought to the fore within the farm as to how I can add value to the business," she said.

DWI

O'Donnell told the annual conference that DWI exists to "champion our successes, amplify our voices and equip us with confidence and the skills to thrive".

"Growing up in a dairy farm, my mother always instilled the belief in me that I could do anything I put my mind to.

"While women, especially women on farms, are by nature, incredibly resilient, being a woman in agriculture can still spark moments of imposter syndrome, especially when you arrive into this world later in life, as I did after a very different career when I moved from banking only a few short years ago," she said.

"Today, I have seen leadership everywhere in your ambition, your courage, your honesty, your humor and the way you support one another.

"We're powerful not because we stand alone, but because we stand together.

"Together, we are breaking barriers, celebrating achievements and building something that will endure and stand the test of time," she added.

O'Donnell said she hopes to lead DWI with "professionalism, integrity, fairness and warmth, ensuring that every woman in this organisation feels heard, feels valued, feels respected and feels supported".

Annual conference

Outgoing DWI president, Mary Kinston told the conference that membership had increased by 25% this year.

Among the other speakers at the annual conference were Irish MEPs Cythnia Ní Mhurchú and Maria Walsh who discussed overcoming personal challenges and embracing opportunities.

The afternoon session, facilitated by Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) deputy president Alice Doyle, heard inspiring stories of resilience from Shannon Porter, Imelda Kinsella and Katherine O'Leary.

"To hear those women speak today was just absolutely amazing, their stories, their grace, their determination, their resilience, it's what Dairy Women Ireland is. That's who we are," Fiona O'Donnell said.