The important contribution women make to the Irish agri-food sector was acknowledged by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, when he met recently with Dairy Women Ireland at the Energy and Farm Diversification Show, Gurteen College in Co. Tipperary.
At the meeting, the Minister reiterated his commitment to supporting them in their roles, saying that advancing gender equality in agriculture has been “a key objective” of his.
“I am proud of the progress that has been made to date. This includes the introduction of specific measures under the current CAP Strategic Plan, progressing the various actions under Food Vision 2030, as well as continuing to support the successful ACORNs female entrepreneur programme. However, it is important that we continue to engage to find solutions that afford women in the sector the visibility and recognition they deserve”.
“In the 13 State Boards under my Department, the number of women on boards has increased from 30 to 56 since I was appointed minister. I have appointed and reappointed 50 women to these boards. At the time of my appointment 2 boards out of 12 had reached the 40% gender target, whereas now 9 out of 13 have reached this target.
All boards are asked to nominate both male and female candidates for roles and I will continue to progress this across all boards.
Stating that “we all recognise the importance of gender equality to the long-term sustainable future of the sector”, the minister noted that he was “pleased to hear that the Women in Agriculture Action Plan, arising from the National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture, is progressing well”.
“I look forward to receiving a formal progress report from the working group in due course. Positive engagement with farm representative bodies such as Dairy Women Ireland is key to achieving meaningful progress for women farmers in Ireland.”
In recognition of the valuable opportunities for peer to peer learning and networking provided by the annual Dairy Women Ireland conference, Minister McConalogue pledged funding to support the 2024 event.
“I was delighted to meet with the representatives of DWI to hear about the initiatives they are rolling out for women across the country involved in the dairy industry. I wish them the best in the final planning stages of their annual conference,” he said.
