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The Global Conference on Women in Agriculture, India March 2012
The Global Conference on Women in Agriculture recently held in New Delhi, India focused on improving farm women's' access to education and technology and on the empowerment of women. It called for transformational change in addressing the issues of women in agriculture with measurable targets of increased income, knowledge, participation and influence in decision making and assets owned by women.
One of the ways to achieve this is the development of a women’s movement, linking women together to learn and share knowledge, to mentor one another, to gain a united voice and to become part of the Government agenda.
Such networking and capacity building began in Australia 20 years ago with the formation of Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA) and the convening in Melbourne of the first International Conference for Women in Agriculture. Since then Australian women have assisted and networked with women in agriculture across the globe, most recently supporting the establishment of Papua New Guinea Women in Agriculture.
Cathy McGowan and Alana Johnson have been working in India for the past three years toward the networking and capacity building of women farmers. They were joined by seven other members of AWiA at the recent Global Conference in New Delhi. Three members of the delegation were young women sponsored to attend by the federal Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry which demonstrates recognition in this country, that the future of agriculture belongs to the next generation whom we must teach and nurture.
On World Rural Women’s Day, Oct 15th this year it is planned for a gathering in India of women in agriculture from India, the South Pacific and Australia.
Welcome to the website of Alana Johnson
Alana Johnson is a fifth generation farmer, a rural consultant and social planner. She was the Victorian Rural Woman of the Year for 2010 and received a RIRDC Australian Rural Women's Award in 2010.
As a pioneer in rural women's leadership in Australia, Alana is a founding member of Australian Women in Agriculture, former President of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women and she holds the rural / regional portfolio on the Board of the Victorian Women's Trust.
A registered clinical Family Therapist and Social Worker , Alana is currently a sessional lecturer and PhD candidate at Monash University researching philanthropy in the agriculture sector.
Recognized nationally and internationally for her work on Change Management, Farm Succession Planning and Leadership Training, Alana is currently working in India to organize the 5th International Congress of Rural Women.
Alana represented rural and regional Australia on the ABC television Q+A panel in May 2011 and features in the recently published Women's Word of Wisdom, launched by Governor General, Quentin Bryce to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.
Alana was a participant in the 2020 Summit and a facilitator at the National Rural Women's Summit. She is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. For the past 28 years Alana has been involved in cattle production, farm forestry and landscape renovation on the family property near Benalla in Victoria.