About the project

For long-term change to occur, social research has identified that all decision-makers must be involved in the decision-making process. With a commitment by all parties, change is more likely to become a common practice or a ‘social norm’ within a business enterprise.

In East Gippsland, farming tends to be a family business, with women being an intricate part of the decision-making process. In the past, most of the RALF capacity-building programs have been aimed at individuals who work on farms, which is traditionally a male-dominated demographic. It has been identified that raising the awareness and capacity of only one person on a family farm is an oversight. For this reason, the East Gippsland Women in Agriculture Network (EGWAN) was developed to address this gap.

To ensure EGWAN is relevant, a Steering Committee was formed to assist in developing projects that suited women who work on farms in East Gippsland. When designing project delivery for women in agriculture, it must be acknowledged that female farmers are burdened with farm work, off-farm work, and family duties.