WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE

This page will be updated over the next few weeks.

On 20th and 21st August 2024, ACRES Donegal ran 2 events highlighting the role that women play in modern Irish Agriculture and the challenges they face. These events were title ‘UR-WAN - Understanding Rural Women in Agriculture’ and took place in Roshin, Churchill at the farm of Elizabeth and Jimmy Forrest and in Leghowney Hall, outside Donegal town.  Both events were well received and featured in a number of national and local media. 

This page brings together the feedback from the event and provides links to additional resources that may be of use to participants who attended and women in agriculture across Ireland.

Background

The 2020 Census of Agriculture in Ireland shows that women account for just 13% of all farm holders across the country. The Census also pointed to the fact that 58,000 women existed within Irish farming without visibility or farm holder status (CSO, 2020). Not only does this underrepresent the input of women in agriculture, it also negatively impacts their ability to avail of funding through agricultural schemes or lending institutes, and their ability to independently access support groups. Support in the form of policies and resources is needed to level the farming ‘playing field’.