There was quite a reaction to our piece last week on the number of women on the board of dairy co-operatives in Ireland.

First out of the traps was Lakeland to let us know that they do actually have a woman on their board – Aisling Neville from Co Westmeath, who was appointed late last year.

Unfortunately, she was not listed as a board member on the co-op’s website, so we missed her from our count. Still, four women on the boards of the main dairy co-operatives in the country is a long way from where the industry needs to be.

However, there are some reasons to be hopeful.

As we said last week, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) introduced a charter for the participation of women in co-operatives in March of 2023.

Change of rules

Many Irish co-operatives have held special general meetings since then to change their rules, to make it easier for women to be eligible for appointment to boards.

Some, such as Tirlán, have introduced designated seats reserved for female candidates at the committee level.

The hope is that the increased visibility of women at this level will encourage broader involvement in the co-op. Measures like this are to be welcomed.

Co-operatives generally are limited to their own membership when filling their boards, meaning that they can’t cast a wide net when seeking to change their boards.

Encouraging female member participation is the only real long-term solution to the gender imbalance we see today.

We wish the co-ops every success on this journey and will check in annually to keep track of progress on this issue.