Minister launches gender-inclusive communications guide
Minister Martin Heydon with Carina Roseingrave, female farm ambassador for the international year of the female farmer holding the Gender-Inclusive Communications Guide which was launched on Sunday at the Tullamore Show. Picture: Maxwells
To coincide with the International Year of the Woman Farmer, minister for agriculture Martin Heydon launched the Gender-Inclusive Communication Guide for the sector.
The guide was launched at the Tullamore Show which was celebrating 35 years of agricultural excellence. The guide also coincided with the show’s special focus on generational renewal and farm succession this year.
The guide, produced as part of the Women in Agriculture Action Plan, seeks to promote the use of more inclusive language and imagery in agricultural communications. It has been designed to assist stakeholders to be more gender-balanced and inclusive in their communications.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) Farm Structure Survey 2023 showed women account for 13.2% of the 133,174 farm holders in Ireland and approximately 34% of the 299,725 total farm workers. The under-representation of women poses a challenge to achieving gender equality in the sector.
Speaking at the launch, the minister said: “Advancing the role of women in agriculture is a key priority for me and is a commitment in the Programme for Government. Women are central to the continued success of Irish agriculture, and their contribution deserves to be recognised and placed on an equal footing with that of male farmers.
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"Gender-balanced communications ensure that modern Irish farming is represented accurately, inclusively and fairly. By writing about and depicting images of men and women farmers, foresters and fishers, we can help break down stereotypes, encourage greater participation and support a stronger, more representative future for Irish farming.”
The minister encouraged all stakeholders to embrace more gender-balanced and inclusive communications and imagery to reflect those working within the sector.
The minister also congratulated International Year of the Woman Farmer Ambassador, Carina Roseingrave, on her participation in a panel discussion entitled “Celebrating The Role of Women in Agriculture” which took place at the Speakers Corner in the Sustainable Livestock Village, where she represented women farmers across the country, highlighting the vital role they play in shaping the future of Irish farming.
Concluding, he said: "Women are at the heart of Irish agriculture. Events such as today’s provide an invaluable platform for sharing knowledge and recognising the expertise that exists across our farming communities.
"It is particularly encouraging to see women taking leading roles in these conversations and helping to shape the future direction of Irish agriculture."
