“There was also a high interest in other topics that Farmstrong focuses on including nutrition and thinking strategies to deal with the ups and downs of farming,” Farmstrong project manager Gerard Vaughan said.
“Some of the other topic areas that the survey revealed women are interested in include mindfulness, relaxation techniques, self-confidence and self-compassion.
“Our write-up of the findings will likely confirm a lot of what women on-farm already know.
“But having tangible data, facts and quotes directly from such a large sample of New Zealand farming women is a really solid basis to inform planning and solutions,” Vaughan said.
Leadership coach and Dairy Woman of the Year Loshni Manikam, who help with the research, said the findings highlight how women in the primary sector can struggle to prioritise their wellbeing.
“It’s often a case of their workloads being unrealistic and unsustainable.
“If we acknowledge, understand and support women in farming to give themselves permission to value themselves and help them to make changes that assist their wellbeing then the benefits to the farm, their families and their community will be immense.” King Country sheep and beef farmer Wendy Coup, who interviewed some of the women, said “The results reaffirm how women often struggle to find time to look after themselves.
“It’s so important from an early age to discover and invest the time in doing the things in your life that you really want to do, the things that make your heart sing and that you value.
“It’s also important to consciously choose what you get involved in.
“Often, when we’re tired and stressed, the first thing that goes is making time to connect with people.
“But the happiest people I know are those who’ve woven family and community into their lives, which then enables them to cope when times get tough,” she said.
Farmstrong will use the survey findings to inform the content of its resources, from women farmer-to-farmer stories, short topic-based tips to more in-depth educational resources it will develop with input from experts.
The findings will also be shared with other rural organisations to inform discussions with them and help identify topics groups can work together on.
“The large response to the survey has been very pleasing. It shows the high level of interest by women in their personal wellbeing and that of their family, friends and community,” Vaughan said.
Survey participants were from a wide cross-section of women involved with farming, from those working full-time on the farm, to others who live on a farm but work off-farm.
MORE:
Read Farming Women on their Wellbeing at farmstrong.co.nz/research-insights/
