The panel consisting of several high-profile women from various sectors was discussing how women don’t get enough recognition for their work, whether it be equality, pay parity or so on.
“It struck me that this was true in the agriculture sector,” Millar says.
“The great job women do is rarely highlighted and we don’t highlight it ourselves as we just get on and do the job. In agriculture some women share their story but most do not.”
Talk about how women should influence the next generation by telling their stories really got her thinking and while discussions continued her mind began ticking over with ideas.
“I thought it would be great to do something that featured women in the primary industries.
“I told my team that we could find and write stories on women from around the world and put them up on-line and social media so it had a global reach and they were all on board.”
The idea was to do a daily blog, post on Instagram and Facebook and profile one woman a day for 365 days.
“We just really wanted to crush this tall poppy syndrome we’re so used to bowing down to and start telling our stories, our women’s stories from around the world.”
Months of planning and organising followed and though they didn’t quite reach their target of one woman day, they did complete it.
“She was a big goal. Which we nearly achieved.
“While we were publishing the stories one of our team went on maternity leave and there were factors including long periods of travel and changes within the Grass Roots Media team which threw the schedule a bit.”
A month after the last blog and posts on social media were published they launched into producing the book, which was funded in part through two Givealittle campaigns. Every blog was turned into a story but the book features more than 365 women because in some cases relatives are featured.
“We have three generations featured in the book – sisters, cousins, individuals who are all ambassadors for women in agriculture.
“And they all come from different professions from dairy farmers to a chocolatier to fly farmer, agribusiness professionals and lecturers.
“We have stories from the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, South America, the United States and, of course, New Zealand.”
The book was launched last month in Palmerston North and the initial print of 500 is selling fast.
“I can’t say how tremendous the support from everyone has been,” she says.
“I cannot thank the team enough who’ve helped turn my idea into reality. Everyone involved gave their time and expertise voluntarily and without them or Stella Rackham from Rabobank, which is our major sponsor, neither the blog nor book would have happened.
“We have had many late nights, many emails, phone calls and grammar checks with our new favourite tool, Grammarly, but the end result is something we are all immensely proud of.”
The women featured in 365 Global AgWomen were nominated or known to the team. Few stood a chance of turning them down.
“I was pretty full on and said do not come to me and tell me you don’t have a story to tell because you do.
“We have to stop this tall poppy syndrome and stop being humble and tell our stories because they are incredible.”
Millar says they received so many nominations they have at least another 365 names of women they never made contact with so there is every possibility of continuing and publishing part two.
