1st Edition

Breaking Through Grass Ceiling

By Margaret Alston Copyright 2000

    Farm women are virtually absent from the leadership positions which structure agricultural organisations and policy and shape the industry. This book examines the contemporary position of women in agriculture, drawing on interviews and surveys with many hundreds of Australian women – farmers, bureaucrats, leaders and activists - and with powerful men in the industry. Giving a voice to rural women, the book presents a wide-ranging, rich tapestry of opinion and insight. Feminists, social scientists - both researchers and students – and others interested in gaining an understanding of gender relations in rural areas and organisations will find this book a fascinating read and an invaluable resource.

    Acknowledgements, Introduction: Australian Women, Agriculture and Leadership, 1. Women at the Grass Roots - Potential Leaders or Disinterested Bystanders?, 2. The Culture in Agriculture, 3. The State, Agriculture and the Place of Women, 4. Organisational Practices and Leadership, 5. Women on Agricultural Decision-Making Bodies, 6. Women in the Bureaucracy, 7. Points of Resistance - Women's Organisations, 8. Triple Jeopardy - Women of Non-English Speaking Background, 9. Triple Jeopardy - Aboriginal Women, 10. Increasing Women's Role in Agricultural Leadership, Bibliography, Appendix A - Board Chairs Questionnaire, Appendix B - Women in Representative Positions Questionnaire, Appendix C - Women at Grass Roots Questionnaire, Index

    Biography

    Alston, Margaret