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WOMEN IN AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE
Advocacy from the Apple Isle: women in leadership
With nearly 45 years’ industry experience, Deb Morice could write a book about the challenges she has faced. As the chair of Tasmanian Women in Agriculture, she helps empower women and celebrate their contributions.
sations who are lobbying to influence government policy in these and other areas. Core objectives are improved farm safety, better rural services, and relief from rising costs of liv- ing. The acknowledgement of women as equal participants in agricultural businesses is also championed heavily. Ensuring women's contribu- tions are valued makes good economic sense for Australian agriculture. The current dearth of women in leadership contrib- utes to economic loss across the whole industry. The sector needs greater female inclusivity on boards, in senior leadership positions, and in everyday farm- ing decision making. The lack of inclusivity limits
tributions, promote networking opportunities, and cultivate con- nections. I was there for the very first TWiA gathering. My conversations with fe- male farmers ran along similar themes. Our contributions, we observed, were undervalued and women overall were under- represented. Women remained financially and socially dis- advantaged too despite their contribution to both on-farm and off-farm income. Further, women bore the majority of family care and household responsibilities. Some were also isolated, while others suffered domestic violence and lacked access to essential services. There are now many women in agriculture advocacy organi-
I was born on a farm and grew up into the industry, where my husband and I eventually owned 700 cows. Early in my career, I quickly learned that I needed to trust myself, know where I stand, and make sure my voice was being heard. I became acutely aware that if our farm was to re- main competitive and meet agri- culture’s economic and social challenges, a personal priority was to strengthen my leadership acumen and farm management skills. It was also important that I remained connected to and sup- ported by other female farmers. I was not alone. In 1994, a group of like-minded women started not-for-profit organisation Tas- manian Women in Agriculture (TWiA) to celebrate women's con-
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