International Rural Women’s Day: The efforts of rural women globally

More than half of the world’s food is produced by women. And on October 15 we celebrate their achievements with International Rural Women’s Day.

Women are responsible for half the world’s food production: working on farms, cultivating the land and producing food to feed the globe.

And if they’re not working the land, regional women are hard at work in their communities as leaders in their field, taking care of their families and friends while often juggling careers, volunteer work, or overcoming tragedy such as natural disaster.

International Day of Rural Women marks the efforts and contributions of women in regional communities all across the world, and provides an opportunity to celebrate their achievements while also acknowledging the challenges and barriers many regional and rural women face.

These are values that align with the Shine Awards, a joint partnership between The Weekly Times and Harvey Norman that is a true celebration of women right across rural and regional Australia.

Now in its eighth year, the Shine Awards strives to share the stories of women in rural and regional Australia who might otherwise go unnoticed – women such as 25 year-old CFA volunteer Ellie McDonald, who’s personal and professional worlds collided when fire struck her family’s sheep stud while she was working on call.

As First Lieutenant at Dadswells Bridge CFA, Ellie was on the fire truck battling blazes elsewhere until past midnight on the day of the fire, leaving her clueless as to what was taking place on her own farm.

Ellie McDonald on farm at Dadswells Bridge Ellie McDonald has a sheep stud Hopea White Suffolks and is a volunteer for the CFA. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Or the story of Gippsland’s Tahirih McLeod, who is working to revolutionise on-farm sentiment and tackle agricultural education head-on, with the aim of making the industry a better place for both employees and those interested in where their food comes from.

Then there’s Helen Byrne, a central Victorian woman who understands how regional women face the tyranny of distance, and is making sure country women’s bras fit just right thanks to her mobile bra van.

The Shine Awards are open for nominations until October 23, and we’re looking for innovators and change makers, the quiet achievers and unsung leaders who are making their communities, businesses and industries a better place.

Since first launched in 2017, Shine has put a spotlight on hundreds of women and their accomplishments, with the winners and finalists each year proving to be real inspirations.

Use the form here to nominate a rural or regional woman who is making a real difference to her community or industry, and shine a light on their incredible achievements.

Or, send an email to [e-mail]

Nominations close on October 23.