Women are an integral part of the farming labour force and the wider agri-food sector in Ireland, according to the Irish Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group (WASG).
However, the group said that women’s contribution past, present and future is often not fully recognised and is undervalued.
The WASG has made the comments today (Wednesday, March 8), on International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the achievements of women across all spheres of life.
Women in agriculture
International Women’s Day comes just over a month after the recent Women in Agriculture conference, organised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Mona O’Donoghue Concannon, chair of the WASG and an Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) member said: “International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to recognise the contribution women make to farms across Ireland, and who are an integral part of the life blood of the rural economy.
“We as agri-food women very much welcome DAFM’s recent Women in Agriculture conference as first step to addressing the current gender and inclusivity challenges facing the sector.
“This work must continue from the ground up, bringing female farmers and business together at both regional and county level to develop concrete solutions that sustain and attract women into food and farming.”
Vanessa Kiely O’Connor, WASG member and vice-chair of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) Business Committee added: “As a full-time dairy farmer and mother I’m only too aware of the different life stage challenges that might deter women from engaging in a farming career or putting themselves forward as candidates for agri-sector roles.
“While I passionately believe farming is a worthwhile and rewarding career, I’m also cognisant of the frequent lack of recognition for the unseen women who are actively contributing on a daily basis to food production, be that milking cows or administration of the farm business.
“This urgently needs to be addressed by all in the agricultural sector.”
Gillian Westbrook, WASG member and Irish Organic Association CEO, concluded: “On International Women’s Day, it is important to celebrate the many female entrepreneurs seeking to add value to their farms and business.
“Many of [whom] are actively engaged in the agri-food business and who made their voices heard at the recent Women in Agriculture conference.
“The Irish Organic Association [is] optimistic the event is just the beginning of a results orientated national dialogue, which could act a much-needed platform for better inclusion of women in agri-food and bring about diversification sector-wide and better inclusion for all,” she said.
WASG
The WASG is an independent, voluntary body made up of representatives from the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA); Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA); Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA); Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA); Irish Organic Association (IOA); Macra; Irish Grain Growers’ Group; and the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS).
Its purpose is to represent the interests of women in farming under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
International Women’s Day has been officially recognised by the United Nations since 1977 to celebrate the achievements of women around the world.
It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
The DAFM hosted the National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture conference on February 1, 2023 to examine gender issues in farming and the agri-food sector and explore how to improve gender balance into the future.
It has committed to compiling the outcomes of the conference into a report that will inform policy in the coming years to ongoing engagement with stakeholders.
The latest census results from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that out of a total workforce of 278,580, women accounted for over 25% of the total agriculture labour force, with about 13% holders of the farm on which they worked in 2020.
Thousands of women are also engaged in the wider agri-food sector both directly and indirectly, from manufacturing and distribution to marketing and retail.