‘FARMING AND crofting simply would not happen without women’s contribution’ – said cabinet secretary Fergus Ewing, announcing some of the recommendations the Women in Agriculture Taskforce are to take forward.

The taskforce are close to completing their report, which includes a range of recommendations, but in the meantime, Mr Ewing said that ‘doing nothing is not an option’, announcing that applications to take part in the first of the three pilot leadership and training programmes is now open:

“Women from rural communities themselves want to be supported in the right way to have confidence in their own undoubted abilities. They want to be able to access the training and support they need on key skills in ways, methods and spaces that they feel comfortable in.”

He continued by saying that one of the key things the taskforce wants to see happen is for attitudes to change: “It is neither acceptable nor frankly business savvy for agencies, organisations and companies operating in Scottish farming today to be effectively male only. So, if we can help businesses and organisations to be better and more equitable then we should do so.

There are now more women as landholders, owners and farmers in their own right, but they equal a total of 36% of the industry.

Mr Ewing continued: “The taskforce also needs to hear clearly that men only boards and governance structures must be consigned to the past. So, I can also announce that we have appointed Changing the Chemistry, a Scottish registered charity, to provide training to improve the diversity of eight agricultural organisations’ boards, as the first wave of activity in this area.”

“Until we reach 50-50, and until we have women properly and appropriately represented in leadership positions, and until women feel supported to play whatever role they want to in this key industry for the rural economy, our work is not done,” he concluded.