While the role of women in agriculture is steadily evolving, women are still significantly underrepresented and continue to be undervalued in positions of rural leadership and decision making. An unconscious bias exists as a simple Google search for ‘Australian farmer’ delivers 80-90% of images with men only.
Funded by the National Landcare Program ‘Smart Farms Small Grants’, Murrumbidgee Landcare developed a project to support women farmers and farm partners as custodians of the land and water, and in their life on farms and in their communities. The project engaged local women farmers and farm partners in a program of discussions, farm walks, academic insights with workshops focused on improving confidence, reducing social isolation, providing skills, empowering leadership and custodian roles, and building networks for ongoing cohesion.
