Debate contribution: Women in Agriculture
Debate contribution by Mr Tom Buchanan on .
- MLA
- Mr Tom Buchanan
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 11 March 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Women in Agriculture
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4855671
Read the official Assembly record
Text
For many years, women have played a significant role in our agriculture sector. However, they have never been fully recognised for the work that they have done or the support that they have provided to their family farm business. In other words, it was far too often taken for granted that that was simply part of their role as a farmer's wife. With agriculture being a catalyst for household prosperity and economic growth across Northern Ireland, not only is ensuring that farm businesses are profitable, productive and sustainable for the future essential but encouraging more women to have a career in the sector while promoting those already forging ahead in the industry is crucial. Farming has always been and continues to be a challenging sector for everyone involved in it, regardless of age or gender, with our farmers having to work unsocial hours and contend with inclement weather, food production, global markets and all the other hurdles that they face daily. Therefore, if the House is serious about encouraging more women into the agriculture industry, action must be taken to remove the barriers that hinder them in coming into the sector. A number of those are highlighted in the motion today. However, delivering on those actions will require a change in attitude across society, and the Minister must take action on the recommendations in the 'Breaking the Grass Ceiling' Committee report. For the Minister and even the House, I suppose, to simply pay lip service to those recommendations and to fail to take action will be nothing short of an insult to women already in the sector and those planning to make it a future career. The Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network (NIRWN) highlighted to the AERA Committee the two key issues facing women: childcare and caring responsibilities. The DUP Minister has delivered for working families through the childcare subsidy scheme, which makes working families £160 per month better off.
The Agriculture Minister must now step up to the mark by exploring options for supporting farming families as they develop and grow their business.
Reports from other jurisdictions have shown that government initiatives have borne fruit, with increasing numbers of women taking on job roles in the agriculture sector as a result. Although agriculture is an accessible career with plenty of opportunities, it nevertheless relies on new ideas and on the skills and talents of young men and women to provide it with a sustainable future. With the new Farming for the Generations scheme planned to commence in 2026, it is crucial that young women be involved in its design, as it has been proven through studies that they are more willing to invest in sustainable farming practices and technologies. Should the Minister continue to focus on an aggressive net zero policy that fails to balance the importance of agriculture production, food security and the ongoing vitality of adequate farm support, that will inevitably lead not only to women but young men leaving the industry. Representing the West Tyrone constituency, a vast rural area that is populated with many farm businesses, I see at first hand the support that women give and the role that they play on the family farm, from doing hands-on tasks to completing paperwork while balancing a part-time job and looking after the household's needs. In many of those families, the young girls perhaps do more work than the young fellas. That happens time and again. Support for women in the agriculture sector is therefore vital. I urge the Minister to take urgent steps to address the situation by producing proposals that will provide hope, support and encouragement to women in the sector.
607 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.07 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.91).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.14 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.05 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.91 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.07 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.87 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.13 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:15 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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