Women are in agriculture

We were members of the 1982 Kellogg Rural Leadership Course. A requirement of the course was the completion of a project. We combined our energies, skills and resources to search out, interview and then portray women in non-traditional rural occupations. Our aim has been to encourage girls to consider all types of work – to lift their sights beyond the stereotypes. Our primary concern has been to get our message across to the girls themselves. We are aware though of the important influence of parents, careers advisers and other teachers. Accordingly we have also written with them in mind. Initially we interviewed and wrote up our “pen portraits” on 12 young women. Six of these have or are being published in a series produced by the Vocational Training Council and the Society for Research on Women. This publication brings together all 12 studies. It is our hope that girls looking for careers in rurally related occupations will find in them good guidance, inspiration and courage to be different!