Madeline Link* says a cultural shift is helping to raise awareness of the value women can bring to agricultural leadership.
If there are no women sitting around the board table, does your organisation promote gender equality?
That’s the question Achmea Australia Chief Executive, Emma Thomas (pictured) asked women in agriculture events in Tamworth, NSW, last month.
“Culturally there’s starting to be more awareness of the value women can bring in agriculture; in leadership positions they offer a different perspective,” she said.
“Women are just as qualified, if not more so, and have a real empathy for livestock and supporting the decisions that need to be made to run the business more profitably.”
Still, women make up only 30 per cent of the agriculture industry in the country, data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency shows.
Men hold a staggering 70 per cent of positions in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
Supporting women in the workplace, offering opportunity where it’s due and assessing the talent pool without bias are some of the topics covered at the Tamworth workshops.
Former Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association Chief Executive, Tracey Hayes hosted “Leadership on the Land”, looking at leading women in agribusiness.
The events looked at how grassroots cultural shifts can open doors to women in agriculture.
Ms Thomas said technological advancements have helped, with women who didn’t want to be involved in the “brawn” side of agriculture able to contribute in other ways.
“Women are now able to do most of the things that traditionally only men had the physical capacity to do,” she said.
“That said, women are also fairly handy in the shearing shed.”
Her own journey to chief executive was one that wasn’t simple.
Ms Thomas said she felt overlooked for positions she was qualified for in her career — and made a point of asking questions.
“At times I have felt some unfairness or been overlooked, I’ve development a mantra that if I see something I need to say something,” she said.
“I come from a high country merino station in New Zealand and I’ve had great leadership and opportunity throughout my career to stand up and have my voice heard.”
“We’d love to see men and women at these events, it’s about equal representation and I think men have a real role to play in supporting women.”
* Madeline Link is a journalist at the Armidale Express.
This article first appeared at www.northerndailyleader.com.au.
