Listen to "Why aren't more women visible in farm organisations?" on Spreaker.

Out of 53 IFA council members only one is female, and the lack of female representation across all farm organisations was highlighted as a major problem at the Women and Agriculture conference.

During a panel discussion, IFA president Joe Healy came under fire at the conference in Carlow on Thursday, where panellist and former IFA Kilkenny county executive member Joan Fitzpatrick described her experiences of trying to progress through the IFA leadership chain as “negative”.

Healy was put on the spot by Matt Dempsey, who was chairing the discussion and asked to respond to criticisms levelled at the IFA’s equality policy.

Healy informed the assembled crowd that he was putting a committee in place to review the lack of female representation within the organisation.

However, speaking to over 700 women during the discussion, Joan Fitzpatrick said: “To think we have one woman (in the IFA) representing all the women in this room is criminal…I’m so sad the IFA have not embraced the important role women are playing on family farms.”

Mairéad Lavery, editor of Irish Country Living, pointed out that it wasn’t just the IFA who were guilty of having a lack of female leadership but all farm organisations in Ireland, including the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Irish Grain Growers Association, Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association and the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association.

Read more

Women and Ag: ‘we need to negotiate a parallel Brexit deal’