Petir: Recognising the importance of women in agriculture is too often only declarative

Marijana Petir, president of the parliamentary committee on agriculture in Croatia, highlighted during a conference in Dublin that recognition of women's importance in agriculture is often merely declarative, lacking comprehensive approaches and concrete instruments. The conference, held under the framework of Ireland’s presidency of the European Union, focused on ensuring the future of agriculture, including generational renewal and the role of women in farming. The conference took place during the International Year of Women in Agriculture, declared by the United Nations to emphasize the contribution of women to food production, resilience of agriculture, and sustainability of rural communities. Petir emphasized that while women make up more than half of the agricultural workforce, they are rarely the heads of farms, holding land rights or making investment decisions. She noted that although women perform a large portion of the work, their leadership roles remain limited. Petir pointed out that women play a crucial role beyond just producing food, they protect the environment and biodiversity, preserve traditions, culture, language, identity, and values among younger generations, and care for families and local communities. Therefore, measures aimed at supporting women should not be viewed as symbolic or ideological issues, but rather as essential components of addressing depopulation, generational renewal, and food security. Among the key problems she identified was the professional status of women working in family farms. She mentioned that Croatia had addressed this issue many years ago, granting female farm managers and registered members of family farms a defined professional status along with pension and health insurance benefits. However, such solutions have not yet been implemented in all EU member states. She stressed the importance of involving women in decision-making bodies responsible for rural area development. In Croatia, the representation of women in the management bodies of local action groups is mandated to be at least 40 percent. As an example of a successful Croatian initiative, she presented the program supporting improvements in housing conditions for young families in rural areas. This program, based on her amendment to the state budget, provides support to young families in units of local self-government with fewer than six thousand residents, who are particularly vulnerable to depopulation. These families receive financial assistance for purchasing, building, or renovating homes. By combining national and local funds, the program helps young families afford housing, which in turn aids in reversing depopulation trends and creating favorable conditions for generational renewal in villages and agriculture. Petir emphasized that this measure is not solely social or demographic, it is also part of agricultural policy and a prerequisite for food security.