Outreach
The Future
Women in Agricultural Science Helping Women in Industry
Sally Male
Sharon Dawson
Women in Agricultural Science Helping Women in the Agricultural Industry Jessica Sheppard from the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia and Sharon Dawson from the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, Western Australia have used their knowledge as scientists, to help other women. They were working in the Katanning Office of the Western Australian Department of Agriculture when staff noticed that despite women’s increasing role in the agricultural industry, women were under-represented at important regional agronomic events.
These events, held by the Department to assist primary producers to gather knowledge and learn skills, were attended by large numbers of men and very few women.
“A ‘Women on Farms Forum’ was initiated by the local female research and development staff to introduce women in farming partnerships to a range of agronomic topics. …. The Forum was highly successful, with good attendance and all participants wanting to attend follow-up workshops. Fifty-three percent of women cited timing clashes with children’s school and other commitments as the most limiting factor to attending Department events…. Half-day workshops are being organised to continue supporting and providing women in agriculture with further skills and knowledge.”
[Sheppard, J, Dawson, S, “Involving
Western Australian Women in Agriculture - an ongoing case study”, presented at
the Twelfth International Women in Leadership
Conference, Perth, Nov 2003. Soon to be available at
http://isp.ecu.edu.au/wil/conference/index.html] v