Women in farming and the agriculture sector: research report

Appendix C

This appendix presents (i) the participant information sheet provided to all interviewees and focus group participants; (ii) the consent form completed by all interviewees and focus group participants; (iii) the interview guide; and (iv) an example of the focus group discussion points (designed for the first focus group held with women in Aberdeenshire). Later focus groups discussion points were amended according to the participant group.

Please note that part of the following appendix is inaccessible to those using screen readers. Please contact the report authors directly to request a plain text version.

i) The participant information sheet

(ii) The consent form

Chief Investigator or Researcher Contact details:

Email: s.shortall@qub.ac.uk

Telephone: + 44 28 90973228
Fax: + 4428 90273943

(iii) The interview guide

Women in farming and the agricultural sector: Interview schedule 2016

[Preamble about research]

1. Tell us about your career paths?

Prompts:

• Tell us about what you did when you left School?
• How and when did you start your involvement with farming/ agriculture?
• Do you own the farm? Are you partners?
• How important is the farm/ agriculture to your career now?

2. Tell us about your daily life

• How much of your time do you spend on the farm?
• What kind of farming tasks/ admin/management do you do on the farm?
• Do you do off farm work?
• How important is this work to the survival of the farm?
• How is your contribution to the farm taken into account? Do you have caring responsibilities? (If so, how is this balanced with work on/ off the farm?)

3. Aspirations:

• Do you farm by choice?
• If not, would you have liked to do so?
• If you could do anything you wished with your farm, what would it be?
• Do you feel skilled to pursue these options?
• What are you expectations for your farm in 10 years' time?
• Is it economically and socially sustainable?

4. Representation in farming and agricultural organisations

• Do you avail of agricultural training?
• Is it as easy for women as men to avail of training?
• Do you belong to any farming organisations?
• Are there any you would like to belong to but don't? If yes, why is this?
• Is it as easy for women and men to belong to farming and agricultural organisations?

5. What will happen to your farm?

• Does your farm have an heir?
• A son or a daughter?
• To what extent were/ are you involved in decisions relating to succession?
• Are girls as likely to inherit now as boys?

What difference do you think it makes, if any, whether girls or boys inherit land?

6. Women's experiences in the farming sector in Scotland

• Tell us your experience of being a woman involved in farming and agriculture.
• How different are men and women's roles?

• What barriers, if any, do you think exist to women's increased participation in the sector? ( i.e. time; information/knowledge; access to land/capital and finance)?
• How might these barriers be overcome (who is responsible for action)?
• What would "good participation" by women look like?

Thank you very much for your time. It has been very helpful to the research. Does anyone have any questions?

[Reminder re: ethics forms]

(iv) The focus group discussion points

Women in farming and the agricultural sector focus group: Aberdeenshire 2016

1. Tell us about your career paths?

Prompts:

• Did you grow up on a farm/ croft / estate?
• Was the croft/ Estate part of your family?
• Where did you go after school?
• Was it an interest in agriculture that led you into this job?
• Are there issues for women employed in the agri sector?

2. Tell us about your daily life

• Do you live on a farm?
• Are you in regular contact with farm families?
• Mostly men or women?
• Are different issues raised depending on whom you contact?
• Do you see gendered issues for men and women on farms?

3. Aspirations:

• Are you happy with your role in your employment?
• Opportunities for promotion in your employment?

4. Representation in farming and agricultural organisations

• Are you involved in agricultural training courses?
• Is it as easy for women as men to avail of training?
• Do you belong to any farming organisations?
• Is it as easy for women and men to belong to farming and agricultural organisations?

5. Future of farming

• Are girls as likely to inherit now as boys?
• Does it make any difference whether boys or girls inherit land?
• What are the key issues for people coming into agriculture now?

6. Women's experiences in the farming sector in Scotland

• Tell us your experience of being a woman involved in farming and agriculture.
• How different are men and women's roles?

• Do barriers to increased participation by women exist (time; information/knowledge; access to land/capital and finance)?
• How might these barriers be overcome (who is responsible for action)?

Thank you very much for your time. It has been very helpful to the research. Does anyone have any questions?

[Remind participants about consent forms]