ENGAGING WOMEN in agriculture is now on the agenda for NFU Scotland, and it has asked its membership to air its views on welcoming women into union work and overcoming any potential barriers they may face.
Launched on January 5, the survey is paired up with the union's current campaign to get more women involved in agriculture as a whole, and it is hoped this survey will help them learn of and address any issues women in agriculture may face.
Union policy manager Gemma Cooper commented: “NFUS has faced criticism for the perception of a lack of woman engaging with the union and its structures in recent years, and we know that agriculture is traditionally a male-dominated industry. We cannot deny that in this day and age the public perception of an all-male board of directors and presidential team is something which some argue is no longer acceptable.
“We have been considering internally what the reasons may be for an apparently lower level of woman engaging with the union than men and as a result of this, NFUS is now seeking to obtain views directly from its membership. I would urge as many members as possible to complete this survey as we are reliant on this to give us a steer on how best to proceed, and we are very keen that this is a membership-led initiative. This is a unique opportunity for women to make their views heard and make a real difference.
“What some may be surprised to hear is that in reality we actually have 25 women who hold positions on regional boards and head office committees," added Ms Cooper. "In addition to this we also have 39 women in our head office staff and group secretary network.
“NFUS will be holding a drop-in session on women in agriculture at its Conference on February 6 and 7, where any member who wishes to discuss this subject is welcome to drop in to speak to us directly. In addition to this, I would urge any female members who want to make their views known to contact either regional staff or head office.” 
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Kate Forbes, who last month called for women to consider standing in the union's leadership elections, declared herself "very pleased" to see it seeking members' views on the issue. 
“The data gathered by this survey will no doubt be invaluable and I strongly commend NFUS for its efforts," she said. “As the granddaughter and niece of farmers, I know well that women play various roles in agriculture – from fieldwork to administration. There is an increasing number of women going into agriculture in their own right too. To date, there has been very little representation or discussion about the issues that women face in the industry.
“As Scotland’s premier farming group, with a membership of over 9000 farmers, crofters and associates across Scotland, NFUS has a great opportunity to reflect the rising number of women in farming. The work of NFUS is especially important in light of uncertainties around Brexit and farmers across Scotland need a strong lobby group to stand up for long term guarantees over CAP funding and membership of the single market for food and drink exports. I’m sure that increased involvement of women will only serve to boost the effectiveness and significance of NFUS. 
The survey, open to all union members, will run from January 5 to February 13, and can be filled out by visiting http://bit.ly/2jeKJ0r.