Even as farm women’s organizations weaken or disappear across Canada, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is ending its decades-long tradition of having designated eastern and western “women’s delegates” at annual meetings.
It’s a combination of an awkward structural set up and a CFA belief that farm issues are not divided by gender.
“I think the idea that there are women’s issues and men’s issues in farming is an old-fashioned idea,” CFA executive director Brigid Rivoire said Feb. 26 during the federation’s annual meeting.
“I don’t think issues can be pigeon-holed that way.”
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Prince Edward Island potato farmer Bertha Campbell, the last designated women’s delegate whose term ended last week, is not so certain.
“It may not be that there are different issues, but I certainly think there are different priorities given to different issues by women and men,” she said.
“I think farm women are interested in issues that you will not hear discussed in a speech by a CFA president.”
What are farm women’s issues?
Campbell said issues such as rural day care, schools and the continuing farm financial crisis’ impact on family life are higher on the priority list for women than trade and subsidy issues that dominate most farm lobby debates.
Stewart Wells, president of the National Farmers Union, which has a “women’s president” position and promotes gender equality within the organization, said the issues that women in the industry stress are far broader than that.
“I really believe the focus of the female farmer is different, more family oriented, more attention to detail, more attention to the bottom line because they tend to do the shopping, pay the bills and know how much money is needed to keep the family going,” he said.
“Their focus is more immediate, what is happening and needed now.”
Wells said he believes farm women’s issues are best reflected through general farm organizations where they can be melded with broader policy positions.
“I think a separate women’s organization is no more palatable than a 100 percent men’s organization.”
At the CFA, Campbell said she understood the decision to get rid of the women’s position, which began to evolve two years ago when the western women’s position was not filled.
Other delegates to the convention are there to represent a CFA affiliate or member. The women’s positions had no organizational base.
“I understand it was an awkward structure,” she said.
Campbell noted that farm organizations tend to be dominated by men and she attributed it in part to the fact that with farm work, off-farm work, child care and domestic duties, farm women often are “pulled apart for time.”
Of the 95 delegates at the CFA meeting, 13 were women of which several were member staff executives rather than working farm women.
Rivoire said it has been a sensitive issue that men on the CFA board did not feel comfortable raising.
“It was raised by women.”
Marvin Shauf, a Saskatchewan grain farmer and CFA vice-president, said he is not certain that there are separate women’s issues but he thinks the views of farm women can be reflected through the federation.
“The tools are all here, the opportunity is available,” he said.
“We have a number of very active and effective women in the organization and they certainly can flag the issues that are important to them.”
