The development is clear. Women play an increasingly important role in Swiss agriculture. That’s according to a new study by the Federal Bureau of Agriculture (FOAG).
Half of the young women surveyed said they earned more than 50 percent of their business income in their area of responsibility, the Federal Bureau said in the study published Thursday. For the third time after 2002 and 2012, the FOAG has investigated the situation and role of women in agriculture.
The traditional role model is changing
What is striking is that the understanding of roles on the farm in general has changed. According to their own statements, especially young women behave more confidently and also take more responsibility on the farm. With the increasing number of female plant managers, there are also more female role models.
Women in agriculture fill more than three roles on average, with the roles of housewife and mother remaining the most important, the study found.
There is also a further increase in the number of women working outside the company, which often also covers part of the security and pension provision. Only four percent of women indicate that they do not have their own safety and facilities.
Confederation specifically wants to promote equality
Overall, the amount of work has increased compared to the last survey in 2012. However, the majority of women have a positive view of their personal and operational future, as well as the future of agriculture.
The Federal Bureau of Agriculture’s research is based on an online survey by the research institute gfs-zurich, which included 778 women from all parts of the country. The study was supplemented with four group discussions.
According to the FOAG, the study is also one of more than 160 measures in the Action Plan for the Gender Equality Strategy 2030, which the Federal Council approved in April 2021. Among other things, it pursues the goal of strengthening women’s economic autonomy and thus specifically promoting gender equality. (SDA)