Regional events aim to tackle 'everyday challenges' faced by female farmers
A series of regional events designed to "tackle the everyday physical and logistical challenges faced by female farmers" will take place.
The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) Co-operation Project teams for Breifne, Munster / south Connacht, west Connacht, Leinster and Donegal have announced a new partnership with the 'Making Farms Work for Women' European Innovation Partnership (EIP).
Together, the groups will host a series of regional events, marking the United Nations International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026.
Led by Mayo-based agricultural advisor Claire Brennan, the EIP project is backed by €650,000 in funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
'Invisible labour'
The initiative focuses heavily on redesigning farmyard management and finding practical alternatives for heavy, labour-intensive tasks.
"One of the streams of the project is to tackle the day-to-day heavy weight challenges, lugging 25kg feed bags, moving feed troughs, lifting 50kg fertiliser bags into a spreader," explained Claire Brennan.
"Women are often invisible labour on farm. We want to come up with solutions using innovative technology for those problems.
"We want to ‘lighten the load’ and make it safer and more enjoyable for women working on farms."
She added that partnering with the ACRES CP teams will guarantee engagement on the ground, allowing the project to meet the real, immediate needs of female farmers across High Nature Value (HNV) farmland areas.
Upcoming events
The upcoming regional events will be informed by a questionnaire online that is currently live to ensure that areas outside of the EIP offer workshops tailored for women.
Beyond the daily physical work, the initiative aims to shift long-standing cultural mindsets.
Organisers plan to run workshops specifically aimed at bringing women together and improving the way they farm, and recognising the significant role played by women in farming, actively challenging the traditional bias that automatically assumes a male relative will be the farm's successor.
Recognition
Dr. Caroline Sullivan, chief operating officer of ACRES Breifne, Leinster and Munster / south Connacht highlighted how empowering women directly impacts local ecosystems.
“Greater recognition is needed for women in farming and their distinct needs," Sullivan said.
"The results from empowered female farmers will shape the future of agriculture, embracing a more diverse range of voices, especially in environmental restoration, water quality and farm succession."
Dates and venues for the regional gatherings will be announced shortly.
Invitations will be extended to women farming throughout the relevant CP zones and EIP area.
