On Monday this week, Darrara Community Centre hosted a well-attended and successful event on empowering women in agriculture, organised by Caroline O’Donovan of Ballinspittle, along with Amanda Cussen of Barryroe Co-op.
The day attracted a diverse group of local farmers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, all united in their ‘commitment to elevating the role of women in the agricultural sector’ through a series of discussions and presentations.
At the event were Jane Collins, Rossmore; Veronica Cullinane, Ballineen; Cllr John Michael Foley, Timoleague; May Sexton, Butlerstown and Mairéad O’Driscoll, Ballinacarriga.
The gathering comes just a few months after CAP Network Ireland released a statement to coincide with International Women’s Day, stating that women were ‘traditionally grossly under-represented in nearly all spheres of influence, including agriculture’.
The CSO Farm Structure Survey 2023 reports only 13% of farm holders are female.
Earlier, in 2020, the CSO’s Census of Agriculture indicated women account for just 13% of the total 130,216 farm holders in Ireland.
At the same time, results showed there were 75,113 female farm workers equating to 27% of the total 278,600 in Ireland. This points to over 58,000 women in Irish farming without visibility or farm holder status
CAP Network Ireland noted that ‘While the contribution of women’s work was historically considered essential to the farm economy, it was rarely celebrated.
Many farm women were quietly engaged in general farm duties such as poultry and pig raising, with the added burden of paperwork following our 1973 entry into the EEC.’
Pauline O’Driscoll, Skibbereen and Aoife O’Driscoll, Timoleague.
‘The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) now includes a specific objective aimed at enhancing the position of women in farming and accelerating the social inclusion of rural women, placing a new focus on promoting the role of women in rural development, with special attention to farming.
Ireland’s €9.8 billion CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) identified gender inequality as a weakness, while the economic benefits of increasing female participation was identified as an opportunity.’
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2026 as International Year of the Woman Farmer.
The resolution invites UN member states and stakeholders to increase awareness of the crucial role that women farmers around the world play in agrifood systems, as well as their contributions to food security, nutrition and poverty eradication.
Michael Sexton, Riverview Veterinary Surgeon speaks to the assembled crowd.
CAP Network are encouraging women to make themselves visible, by applying for a herd or flock number in their own name, a joint herd number with a family member, a registered farm partnership or a herd keeper role, all of which are recorded and reported on by Department of Agriculture.
