Name: Hannah Whytcross
Community/State: Camperdown, Victoria
School: Mercy Regional College
Age/Grade: 17 Years, Year 11
Bio: Click here
Hannah’s Power Trip is kindly being sponsored by AgriFutures Australia!
“Life is a roadtrip with twists and turns. How can we support one another to navigate the road to gender equality?”
The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. This is the Agriculture industry today. There will be many bumps in the road but we just need to remain positive. Things will get better.
Agriculture has an image problem. Many people think it isn’t an attractive employment option for women. They think it’s outdated, unprofitable and hard work with little room for career advancement. So, we need to make people aware of the benefits as a career and explain the opportunities for innovation and farming as a business. We need to engage women into this field. This can be done through the media and social media. They can be used to help promote a better image and allow for sharing of information and experiences between young women and female farmers. It’s all about feeling and knowing that you have support and back-up from each other.
It’s important that women put their hands up and be heard. Another consideration is putting Agriculture on the school curriculum. Primary and High School education could include lessons on farming from growing fruit/veggie crops to marketing and selling them. This could help encourage young girls to see agriculture as a potential career. It’s all about exposure and younger the better.
We need to empower women to speak up and I quote, ‘I raise my voice not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard’. Women have played a silent role in agriculture in Australia but with a new generation of female farmers stepping forward this is about to change. They have new idea’s and a fresh outlook. They are eager to strike out and make a difference in this industry.
Young women need to become part of policy discussions at the local and national levels. They need a platform to discuss opportunities in agricultural development, share experiences and advocate for greater women representation. Social occasions such as a Rural Ladies Luncheon is a great start. To be surrounded be 100’s of other like-minded women in a relaxed environment is totally empowering. Great for communication, self-esteem and education. This sort of event speaks volumes and allows women to open up, have a laugh and a glass of wine. I believe more of these such events should be on the calendar.
Grow from the bumps in the road and stay positive. Don’t confuse life’s speed bumps with STOP signs. . .