Women’s work and expertise are critical in maintaining and developing agricultural businesses but more needs to be done for farm businesswomen to achieve the recognition they deserve.
In a new report, Griffith University researchers and the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) identified initiatives to encourage more women to take up leadership roles in the state’s agriculture sector.
Lead researcher Dr Susan Ressia from the Griffith Business School says women in the sector have complex working lives and any future leadership support programs needed to account for them.
“Women take on a range of responsibilities to help manage and keep the farm going from book keeping, volunteering in the community, raising families and even working off the farm to bring in extra income.
“To help achieve their leadership aspirations, we need to determine a range of support measures tailored to the women who are juggling these multiple responsibilities. They need more support to help them realise their potential.”
QFF CEO Dr Georgina Davis said the report highlights that many women want to be recognised for taking active leadership roles as business owners, innovators and agripreneurs.
“Following on from this report, QFF’s Diversity and Leadership Panel will work to identify and prioritise training and development needs, as well as the best mechanisms for delivery.
“This research has implications for achieving better outcomes for individual women, communities, industry, and government, as well as improving social and economic outcomes at all levels of Queensland society.”
Read the Queensland Farm Businesswomen: The Long Road to Leadership report.