Women in the west are getting ready to “show up and stand up” when it comes to farming.

The fledgling West Women in Farming Ireland (WWFI) group is to host its inaugural meeting on Saturday 1 April in the Clayton Hotel, Galway, at 1.30pm.

The western group follows hot on the heels of the South East Women in Farming Ireland (SEWFI) and is being driven by Martina Calvey of Achill Lamb, Aubrac breeder Catherina Cunnane and goat producer Ami Madden.

Growing fast

The group already has more than 100 women in its Facebook group.

Show up and stand up is the theme of its inaugural meeting, Martina Calvey told the Irish Farmers Journal.

The aim is to encourage women to become actively involved in every farming organisation and not just as committee secretary, she explained.

We want every woman to attend a meeting, ask a question, raise a point…show up and stand up for all of us

“My message is that maybe women are not deliberately excluded [from farm meetings]. Maybe women don’t show up and don’t stand up,” said Calvey.

“We want to set a target for every woman to make that effort to attend any farming-related meeting on behalf of WWFI. We want them to ask a question, raise a point…show up and stand up for all of us.”

“Imagine if we have 50 or 60 women doing that as a strategy and the group supporting them in confidence training and public speaking to enable them to achieve that goal.”

Agenda

While the agenda for the April meeting has not been confirmed yet, it is expected that the lineup will include a visiting speaker from sister organisation SEWFI and a speaker from New Frontiers Tipperary among others.

For more information, contact Martina Calvey on 087-688 5786.

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Visibility of women in farming must be increased