Sometimes change can be a long time coming, while other times it moves faster than expected.

In 1973, the marriage bar was lifted in Ireland, a significant event that wasn’t just about women resigning from their job in the civil service when they married.

The symbolism of recognising the contribution of women in the workplace laid a path for glass ceilings to be smashed. Smashed may be a strong word, though. Women rising to senior roles was more of a slow heave.

In 2023, 50 years after the marriage ban was lifted, representation of women on State boards in the agricultural sector was still under-represented. Of the 12 State bodies, the boards were distinctively male-dominated.

In fact, the then Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue made quite a bold statement, announcing that he would go so far as to refuse board nominations from bodies not hitting their gender representation targets.

For International Women’s Day last week, the Irish Farmers Journal did an analysis on how things have moved on, with a notable improvement when it came to female representation. As reported by Caitríona Morrissey, there is now more gender balance on nine of the 13 boards, including a 50:50 representation on the Agri-Food Regulator board, set up in 2023.

50:50 representation

Notable increases are Bord Bia, which went from 27% women to 47% in just two years and the Marine Institute which went from 33% women to 50%.

In 2023, some boards were edging their way to equal representation but none were quite there. However, four boards have now shot past the 50:50 mark and have a higher representation of women than men.

These include the Irish National Stud Company (71% women), Teagasc (64% women), An Bord Iaschaigh Mhara (60% women) and the Veterinary Council of Ireland (58% women). But it’s not about tipping the balance, it’s about getting a fair representation of both genders.

This, unfortunately, is still not the case in the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the outlier in which the three-person board is made up solely of men. Co-op boards are also lagging significantly behind. Of the 94 members that sit on the boards of the largest milk processors in the country, only five are women. That is just 5%, a far cry away from 50:50 representation.

Change is also very slow within the farm gates. On the same week that we are discussing progressive figures on the State boards, research from Maynooth University, funded by the Department of Agriculture, shows that farm incomes for female farmers remain consistently lower compared to male farmers.

And when it comes to owning land, just 13% of women are farm holders, which is very similar to the numbers reported more than 30 years ago.

The biggest barriers facing female farmers are access to land and the challenge of combining farm work with off-farm work and caring responsibilities. Succession is also a key factor. Of the farmers that have identified a successor, it is, in 80% of cases, a male.

What has changed though is attitude and many female farmers will now say their voice is heard and their contribution is valued, especially compared to the women that went before them.

We hear you.