A survey is being done to examine possible barriers to women advancing to leadership roles in agriculture in Canada.

It’s part of a three year research project called Supporting the Advancement of Women in Agriculture.

The project is being conducted by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council.

The survey is on-line – takes about 15 minutes to complete – and is open to both women and men.

Council spokesperson Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst says they need to fully understand the situation before they can take steps towards improvement women’s access to leadership and business opportunities in agriculture.

The overall project will explore the contribution of women to the industry, the barriers they experience, prioritize options for improvements and assess the effectiveness of current services.

The council refers to the project as a partnership-based initiative.

It’s getting support and contributions from national and regional agricultural associations, training and education providers and women’s groups, along with Status of Women Canada.

There’s more information on the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council’s website.

Link to survey on barriers to women in agriculture