OTTAWA — Debra Pretty-Straathof wants to hear from Canadian women farmers and their organizations about their issues.
That might allow her to help women in other countries secure land tenure, obtain credit and find market opportunities.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture director has represented the Canadian Federation of Agriculture on an international farm women’s committee for about a year.
“We need to identify champions in those other countries,” she said. “We can provide models if they want them but I think we as a North American society, if we even try to (impose on them), we could just make things worse.”
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Pretty-Straathof said her participation at the World Farmers’ Organization level raised many questions for her.
“Not being part of a women’s farm group, per se, has left me sort of out here on my own,” she said. “I’m sort of struggling to not only understand the issues internationally but also domestically.”
Pretty-Straathof said many women around the world don’t have a lot of say in their farm operations, a situation that isn’t just true in developing countries where women are restricted by religious, cultural and political barriers.
She said most in Canadian farm circles say that women are full partners in their family farms but it’s still largely a man’s world.
After a recent presentation at the CFA annual meeting, Pretty-Straathof said a young male delegate told her that, in some circumstances in some provinces , if he died without a will his wife mighthave to share farm assets with children.
“Maybe there is room for improvement even here,” she said.
