Women-only discussion groups
Mark Moore tells us about the small, but growing, number of all-women Teagasc discussion groups.
It’s late morning and having viewed the host farmer’s dairy cows the Royal Tara dairy discussion group are seated and sharing their experiences with breeding technologies, bull selection and paddock management. With the universal discussion group proviso that what’s said in the group, stays in the group, experiences, mistakes and solutions are shared. The only different thing about this group is that all members are women.
“Our facilitator Vincent Treacy approached me a couple of years ago and asked if there would be interest to start a technical discussion group for women in dairying,” says Laura Hannon. “Through word of mouth and Teagasc communication the group has grown to about 15 members most of whom are located in Meath but we also have members from Westmeath, Louth and Wicklow. Some are full-time, some are part-time but all are heavily involved in dairy farm businesses.”
The Royal Tara group is one of a small but growing number of all-women discussion groups across the country. Teagasc also has groups in Kerry, Limerick, Carlow, Tipperary, Wexford and Kilkenny-Waterford. A number co-ops/organisations have women-only groups and there are a number of independent women’s groups too. Women-only groups tend to be primarily associated with dairying but there are also drystock groups.
In a year which Teagasc has designated its ‘Year of Diversity and Inclusion’ it might seem slightly surprising that the organisation is encouraging women-only groups. “Our approach is that all clients are absolutely equal,” says Tom Curran, head of the Teagasc advisory service. “There are many women in our discussion groups who are more than capable of holding their own with the most experienced male farmers but where there is demand for a women-only group we will support them.” According to Teagasc’s Sandra Hayes, who has facilitated (with John Maguire) a women-only discussion group in Tipperary, and now facilitates one in Kilkenny-Waterford, membership can be a transition to membership of a mixed group.
“If you are coming into dairying, possibly from a non-farming background and with little practical experience, the idea of joining an all- male technically excellent discussion group is intimidating. I see women’s groups as one way for women to build their knowledge and self-confidence in dairying before potentially joining a conventional group.”
What’s different about women’s groups?
Most women-only groups are relatively new, just several years old on average, compared with conventional groups which may have been in existence for decades. Evidence that women-only groups are different is largely anecdotal and subjective but some themes are frequently mentioned such as better engagement. Linda Murphy, a current member of the Teagasc Kilkenny-Waterford group, farms alongside her dad and works in the banking sector. She says she has experience of predominantly male groups, her dad’s, and also was a member of a mixed group when she was doing the Green Cert by distance. “When I was at my dad’s group, which is very technically advanced, I would save up my questions and ask him later!"
“It’s certainly easier for a woman to ask questions in a women-only group and I think women generally ask more questions whatever group they are in.” Vincent Treacy of Teagasc Navan, who facilitates the Royal Tara Group, has extensive experience of facilitating dairy discussion groups.
“At least in my experience, women-only groups can present a challenge for facilitators. They are generally very well prepared for a meeting and will sometimes ask you for a broader explanation of the background to technical issues than a conventional group might. Though it’s a generalisation, it is sometimes easier to get engagement from an all-women group"
Male and female facilitators
“The aim is certainly not to develop a separate or parallel advisory service,” says Majella Maloney, Teagasc Regional Manager for Kerry/Limerick. “Ideally, we will have more and more women in all discussion groups which I think will benefit everybody. As it happens, the women-only dairy discussion group (in collaboration with Kerry Group), the Limerick Ladies Discussion Group (facilitator Deirbhile Browne) and our women-only beef group centred on Kilmallock (facilitator Aileen Walsh) are facilitated by women but the idea is to provide good knowledge transfer not to create an exclusively female environment.”
Not just dairying
Teagasc’s Catherine Colfer facilitates the south Wexford beef discussion group: “We see every year when clients come in for Basic Payment discussions that there is a significant percentage of holdings which are owned and managed by women.
“We texted clients and used other communications to establish if there was a demand for a women’s group in the region. You would rarely expect to have a women-only group from a local area as you would for a conventional group, so you tend to have group members from a much larger area, which is the case with the south Wexford group.
“As with any other group it’s the members who suggest the range of topics which they want to address to the facilitator. In our drystock women’s group, the themes are 80% related to technical or production issues but we also cover things such as succession which are equally important for a farm business.”
Gender equality
Encouraging greater gender equality will include initiatives such as the new TAMS scheme targeted at women farmers but also encouragement for female participation in discussion groups. A new KT discussion group scheme coming in 2024 will almost certainly prioritise groups which have a certain percentage of female participants. A greater level of involvement of women in all discussion groups, be it in an all-women or conventional group, can only be to the benefit of everybody.
So how do you initiate a Teagasc facilitated all-women group?
The first step would be to approach your Teagasc Regional Manager who can tell you if a group already exists. If not, and there is sufficient demand and adequate resources you could get to name the new group.