I am a woman who has come to prominence in a man’s world
In 2012 I won agriculture’s most prestigious accolade the inaugural Bob Hawke Hawke Landcare Award
All the subsequent winners are men
In 2021 the inaugural winner of the 2020 General Jeffery Soil Health Award is a woman
I am 100% confident that both of us are not a token gestures to gender diversity, its a 100% acknowledgment that we are where the world sees agriculture as the place we should be heading
I am where I am today because a number of very special men supported my journey
But very few ( almost none ) put their hands up in a public space and say I am on Team Lynne and the work she does on behalf of the greater good is important work we can all champion.
My call to action to women everywhere in agriculture be proud of what you are doing
Shout your cause from the rooftops
Its time for the invisible to be truly visible
And its time to tell the men in our lives who think its good enough to pat you on the head and say “Go Girl” is no where near the ground breaking response that is required to drive real change.
What does Gender balance look like you to you?
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I totally agree. I also can see how (now being a mother) agriculture makes sense to me innately. I am studying agriculture now at TAFE and feel that many things I’ve come across as a mother and home manager transpose to the farming world.