Traditionally the role of farmer has been a masculine one and rural patriarchy has been cited as the reason why farm women have been described as “helpers” or “farm wives” rather than farmers. The nature of gender relations on farms has been debated, but most recent scholarship on the topic suggests that a complicated negotiation has taken place where women remain essential to the success of farming operations, yet they are still ignored as leaders in a masculine agricultural system. This paper will present findings from a 2017 oral interview study of 36 female egg farmers across Canada to understand why they are hugely underrepresented in leadership positions despite their historic importance as egg producers in Canada’s supply-managed industry. It will also suggest measures that have been identified as useful in encouraging women’s participation in leadership in the future. The story of women in egg farming is part of a larger picture of women in agriculture, and this paper argues that decades-long social, cultural, economic, and political factors have and continue to contribute to women’s reluctance to seek positions of authority in farming communities.
This research is premised on the belief that to understand the challenges and opportunities that exist for women, it is necessary to hear from women themselves. Women must be able to tell their own stories. Researchers should not rely on the accounts of government officials or industry leaders (who are typically men), which tend to misrepresent farm women’s experiences. Oral accounts are transformative because they reveal an individual’s everyday life. In this case, interviews allowed for a window into female egg farmers’ relationships with kin and fellow egg producers, how they value the work they do, what they believe they are capable of, and why they have or have not taken on leadership roles in their industry. By asking women questions about their experiences on the farms, their responsibility for domestic- and farm-related tasks, the types of volunteer and leadership opportunities they have had, and their general goals, a great deal is revealed about why women have not participated more forcefully in farming and/or farm leadership. Such questions were not asked previously, and they provide insight into how these women understand their past and envision their future involvement in the egg farming industry.
