New campaign is aimed at beating gender bias in farming

The Borders will next week host the first in a series of free events offering inspiration and advice to the thousands of women across the country working in Scottish agriculture.

The women-only events have been organised by the Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service (FAS) programme, delivered by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

The organisers said the meetings, taking place the length of the country from 13-28 March, will cover a range of topics, from accounts and mental health awareness to diversification opportunities and even the role of social media in farming circles.

The events follow on from recommendations in a report last summer – Women in Farming and the Agriculture Sector – which highlighted that there was a need to set up a series of measures to address the “conscious and unconscious” gender bias within the industry. Siobhan Macdonald from SRUC, who has been setting up the project, said that while women in agriculture faced a number of challenges, there were also many opportunities. “These free events are a great chance for women to find out more about these opportunities, to learn, to share ideas and to be inspired by a range of speakers and interactive sessions,” she said.

With the announcement coinciding with today’s International Women’s Day, SRUC principal Wayne Powell said: “I am delighted that SRUC is able to support the Scottish Government’s Women in Agriculture initiative through these events.”

The first meeting takes place next Tuesday at 11am at the Carfraemill Hotel in the Borders and will focus on accounts and business planning.