The Land

Rural Women's Day: more than a celebration

Rural Women's Day: more than a celebration
Rural Women's Day: more than a celebration

This is branded content for FMC.

FMC's position on diversity and inclusion is clear: they embrace it, celebrate it, and help it flourish.

On International Rural Women's Day, FMC is doing more than simply recognising women who work in, and for, the development of regional and rural communities.

Committed to creating an environment where everybody feels their best, the ANZ division of FMC's global business is continuously investing in inclusive leadership development, pursuing a bold ambition to ensure 50 per cent of its workforce is female by 2027.

FMC is building strong momentum by engaging in industry leading conversations on the business case for diversity, making changes to its parental leave policy, and encouraging managers to recruit for potential and transferable skills, instead of just experience.

Ensuring the industry translates the unique balance of the farming family straight into the boardroom, FMC is investing along the entire career path from young emerging talent to senior management.

The company has launched a unique all-of-ag scholarship program highlighting innovative ideas of 18-35-year-old women, offering them the chance for tailored classroom and practical learning, industry networking, and a platform to share ideas.

"Women currently equate to only one third of the Australian agricultural workforce, yet we know they have a lot more to offer in this dynamic industry," ANZ and ASEAN FMC Managing Director Kristina Hermanson said.

"The FMC Australian and New Zealand team are committed to providing more solutions for women to participate and thrive in agriculture."

The scholarship program is called LEAD, which stands for Learn Evolve Apply Develop. While there were two scholarship winners in this inaugural round, FMC is finding ways to continue to support the entire finalist group with ongoing networking and learning opportunities.

Kristina says the program deliberately targets women who are already connected with agriculture, because the current challenge for industry is not so much about getting women on board but supporting them to develop into leadership roles.

"Seeing more young female graduates entering the sector is promising, but the key is bringing that diversity through the ranks to senior management to continue building diversity in decisions and strategic direction," she said.

Nominations for the second round of the LEAD scholarship program are set to open soon, and Kristina says she is excited to see the alumni group expand.

"As we recognise and celebrate women who contribute so much to rural communities around the globe, I am excited that FMC is taking a proactive role in creating opportunity for women in agriculture.

"We appreciate the collaboration in the industry to create an inclusive environment where we can fully leverage diversity of thought and talent available," Kristina said.

Read more about the LEAD program and the current scholarship recipients.