IFA Press Release
Issued by: National Press Office, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12. (01) 450 0266
Contact Derek Cunningham: (01) 450 1931/ 086 2430535/ 01-833 5159 (H)
or Tara Mulvany (086) 2633940
www.ifa.ie
Monday, 13th October 2003
IFA’s FIRST NATIONAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH A WOMEN IN
AGRICULTURE UNIT
Speaking at the first National IFA Conference for Women in Agriculture, in Croke Park , Dublin today(Monday) Mary McGreal the Chairwoman of the IFA’s National Farm Family Committee called on the government to establish a special unit within the Department of Agriculture charged with promoting the interests of farm women and delivering on the core issues affecting them.
Todays conference, sponsored by ACC Bank, was attended by over 500 delegates from across Ireland as well as international delegations from Australia and the UK.
Ms McGreal said that under the theme ‘Fast Forward – Driving the Agenda for Women in Agriculture’ the conference marked the end of the ‘talking phase’ for women in agriculture and the start of an urgent action phase. She demanded that women in agriculture be taken seriously with regard to policy making and said the key to this happening would be for the Government to set up a specific unit within the Department of Agriculture and Food to give serious priority to farm womens’ agenda.
“This new Department of Agriculture unit should lead the development and implementation of viable strategies and policies in full co-operation with every other relevant Department and agency.”
The IFA Chairwoman said funding was available to finance such a move.
“The Department of Agriculture and Food receive NDP funding under Measure 3, the Rural Development Fund to support specific assignments focused on important policy questions such as gender and social inclusion issues in rural areas in order to provide information and advice to policy makers’. By the end of 2002, only 9% of this funding allocated to the South & East region, and only 3% of that allocated to the Border Midland West region had been spent. There has to be serious concern that the timetable for spending such money could expire.”
The conference heard concerns expressed at the lack of representation of women in agricultural politics and the low numbers of women who own land in their own right. The conference also highlighted the invisibility of women both in terms of agricultural statistics, the agricultural media and the blatent lack of gender proofing in Department of Agriculture publications as recently as September 2003.
“The 2000 Report of the Advisory Group on the Role of Women in Agriculture must be urgently re-evaluated with a view to speedy action. This report raised many of the core issues for women in agriculture and recommendations were made. There have been changes since then but the change is too fragmented and slow.”
Other major issues addressed by the conference included the lack of social insurance cover for farm spouses and the need for greater recognition of women as farmers in their own right, and as equal partners on the farm. Women demanded an input into policy making on issues such as ‘land transfer’. Positive female role models in agriculture should be highlighted, and girls should be encouraged to become actively involved in taking the important decisions on the farm from an early age.
The conference director, IFA’s Equality Officer, Mary Carroll, said that the conference was the result of consultations around the country that revealed that women in agriculture felt voiceless and wanted action to be taken.
“This conference is a focal point for action. We chose ‘Fast Forward’ as a theme because the button has been on pause long enough. We have had the reports, we have had the consultations. It is time for the Department of Agriculture to press the play button. It is time to move women in agriculture from the middle of the 20th century into the 21st century.”
The conference was timed to coincide with next Wednesday’s World Rural Women's Day, to celebrate the unique contribution of rural women to the agricultural sector. The national significance of this groundbreaking event is evidenced by the decision of An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, TD to attend.
ENDS