The IFA is to improve the gender balance in its organisation by 2025.
Launched on UN International Rural Women’s Day, the IFA target is an 80:20 gender split across all its national committees before 2025.
It will implement a number of measures to increase diversity in its ranks including:
A maximum of six two-year terms for all newly elected officers before being required to move forward in the IFA.A target of at least 20% of candidates for election are women.Mentor programmes for women interested in leadership positions .Increase awareness of the strong role already played by women within the association.Time, communication and engaging young farmers were some of the key topics at the strategy launch on Tuesday.
Professor Sally Shortall from the University of Newcastle has studied the importance of women in agriculture.
Speaking at the IFA event, she said that during men’s focus groups, cultural barriers were frequently raised as a challenge to females in farming organisations.
Her study also found that men did not think that they would vote for women when it came to standing for positions in the organisation.
“It’s important that we don’t underestimate the level of cultural change that will be necessary,” said Shortall.
Amii McKeever, Country Living editor and chair of the IFA diversity committee said: “I’m asking you all to engage with the diversity project team, and help identify women that you might think will become involved.
“We can’t keep replicating the past, the world is changing.”
Guest speaker Maria Ryan said that better time management would be more of an incentive to join farm organisations.
“Work smarter, not harder. If you have an interest and you want to become involved, there is a way around it”.
Read more on the new strategy in Country Living next week.
Read more
IFA targeting 80:20 gender split across national committees
Youth Development finals come to Ireland
The IFA is to improve the gender balance in its organisation by 2025.
Launched on UN International Rural Women’s Day, the IFA target is an 80:20 gender split across all its national committees before 2025.
It will implement a number of measures to increase diversity in its ranks including:
A maximum of six two-year terms for all newly elected officers before being required to move forward in the IFA.A target of at least 20% of candidates for election are women.Mentor programmes for women interested in leadership positions .Increase awareness of the strong role already played by women within the association.Time, communication and engaging young farmers were some of the key topics at the strategy launch on Tuesday.
Professor Sally Shortall from the University of Newcastle has studied the importance of women in agriculture.
Speaking at the IFA event, she said that during men’s focus groups, cultural barriers were frequently raised as a challenge to females in farming organisations.
Her study also found that men did not think that they would vote for women when it came to standing for positions in the organisation.
“It’s important that we don’t underestimate the level of cultural change that will be necessary,” said Shortall.
Amii McKeever, Country Living editor and chair of the IFA diversity committee said: “I’m asking you all to engage with the diversity project team, and help identify women that you might think will become involved.
“We can’t keep replicating the past, the world is changing.”
Guest speaker Maria Ryan said that better time management would be more of an incentive to join farm organisations.
“Work smarter, not harder. If you have an interest and you want to become involved, there is a way around it”.
Read more on the new strategy in Country Living next week.
Read more
IFA targeting 80:20 gender split across national committees
Youth Development finals come to Ireland
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: