An agricultural adviser leading the 'Making Farms Work for Women' European Innovation Partnership (EIP) is one of 12 women to have their voices amplified in a new CAP Network Ireland publication Women in Agriculture: Driving Change Under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan.

Claire Brennan is heading up the partnership, which aims to foster a sustainable and inclusive agricultural community in north Mayo, working to empower women farmers and encourage the next generation of female leaders.

The initiative seeks to tackle the under-representation of women in farming roles and enhance their involvement through innovative practices and solutions, training, and community support.

The project which will run for three years, will also tackle gender roles within farming families.

Claire said: “We want to organise workshops to encourage the involvement of young girls in farming at an early stage.

"There is a higher likelihood of girls farming in the future when interest is nurtured at a younger age.

"There is still a belief bias that the male will be the future farmer and successor. However, often the female might be the more natural farmer," she contended.

"I would like to see more female leaders and stakeholders involved in the delivery of the next round of CAP at national and EU level," the agricultural adviser said.

Also featured in the CAP Network Ireland report is Carina Roseingrave, a full-time farmer on a mixed farm at the foothills of the Burren, Co. Clare.

Carina said: “Farming is a wonderful career that gives me flexibility around raising my kids and I’m out in the fresh air but it wouldn't be sustainable without CAP supports."

While Carina would like to see the approval process for applications speeded up in the next CAP, she credits the ACORNS programme - which supports female-led start-ups in rural Ireland - with providing her with the assistance needed to change her farm management practices.

“Before ACORNS, I would never have looked at the farm as a business, whereas now I do," she said.

Her suckler herd comprises pedigree Limousin and Charolais cows. She intends to apply for 60% support in the Women Farm Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS 3 to build a modern shed for the herd.

The CAP Network Ireland publication celebrates the essential but often under-recognised role that women like Claire and Carina play in Irish agriculture and rural life.

Only 13% of the country's farm-holders are female, according to the 2023 CSO farm structure survey .

The CAP Network Ireland report highlights both the challenges faced by women in agriculture and the significant progress being made under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, said the publication is not just about individual success.

He said: "It is about inspiration. It is about creating space for more women to see a future for themselves in farming, in leadership, and in shaping the rural communities we all value.

"It is also about acknowledging and learning from real experiences, grounded in hard work, vision, and a deep commitment to both land and place," the minister added.

James Claffey, project manager with CAP Network Ireland, said that the organisation wants to shine a light on the work women are already doing, highlight the barriers that remain, and show the targeted supports now available under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan.

Claffey said: "By amplifying these voices, we hope to encourage more women to take leadership roles in farming and rural development and ensure that agriculture reflects the full talent and diversity of our communities."

The CAP report draws attention to the structural barriers still faced by women in agriculture, including restricted access to land ownership and finance, as well as cultural perceptions of farming as a male profession.

It also highlights the need for cultural change, flexible supports such as childcare, and better data collection to ensure that progress can be measured and sustained.

CAP Network Ireland is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the European Union.