Drought a genderedDrought a genderedexperienceexperience

Margaret AlstonMargaret AlstonProfessor, Social Work and HumanProfessor, Social Work and Human

ServicesServicesCentre for Rural Social ResearchCentre for Rural Social Research

summarysummary•• Lack of attention toLack of attention to

social impacts ofsocial impacts ofdroughtdrought

•• Gendered impactsGendered impacts•• Theoretical overviewTheoretical overview•• The studyThe study•• Policy implicationsPolicy implications

Discourse of droughtDiscourse of drought•• ‘‘one of the most severe [droughts] in the last 100one of the most severe [droughts] in the last 100

yearsyears’’ (Prime Minister John Howard, media (Prime Minister John Howard, mediarelease, 9th December, 2002release, 9th December, 2002

•• ‘‘drought will cost the country $2 billiondrought will cost the country $2 billion’’ (ABC (ABCNews online, July, 2002)News online, July, 2002)

•• Reduction in economic growth in Australia inReduction in economic growth in Australia in2002 2002 –– 2003 by around 0.9 percentage points, 2003 by around 0.9 percentage points,or around $6.6 billion (ABARE)or around $6.6 billion (ABARE)

•• ‘‘drop in the numbers of sheep from 120 milliondrop in the numbers of sheep from 120 millionto less than 100 millionto less than 100 million’’ (AFP, October 9, 2002) (AFP, October 9, 2002)

•• What of socialWhat of socialconsequences?consequences?

Gendered impactsGendered impacts•• gender implications emerge as one of thegender implications emerge as one of the

most significant social impacts for farmmost significant social impacts for farmfamily membersfamily members

•• Women and men enter farming differentWomen and men enter farming differentroutesroutes

•• Power differentialsPower differentials•• Gendered expectationsGendered expectations•• Negotiations around task allocationNegotiations around task allocation•• __ impacts of drought vary by gender impacts of drought vary by gender

Women and droughtWomen and drought•• Multiple roles on andMultiple roles on and

off farmoff farm•• Income generation offIncome generation off

farmfarm•• Monitoring health ofMonitoring health of

othersothers•• Overseeing financialOverseeing financial

management andmanagement andcompliancecompliance

Men and droughtMen and drought•• Working longer hoursWorking longer hours

on farmon farm•• Keeping stock aliveKeeping stock alive•• Aware of lostAware of lost

productivityproductivity•• More socially isolatedMore socially isolated•• Emotionally impactedEmotionally impacted

by death of stock andby death of stock andloss of pasturesloss of pastures

Both impacted by:Both impacted by:•• Loss of incomeLoss of income•• Escalating debtEscalating debt•• Cost of childrenCost of children’’s educations education•• Impacts of belt-tightening exercisesImpacts of belt-tightening exercises•• Inability to take holidaysInability to take holidays•• Impacts on children and old peopleImpacts on children and old people

•• __ health impacts for both men and women health impacts for both men and women

Theoretical overviewTheoretical overview•• Early 20Early 20thth century separation of spheres century separation of spheres ––

private and public / women and menprivate and public / women and men•• Decline in fortunes of agriculture andDecline in fortunes of agriculture and

higher higher educ educ of women of women __ significant significantchanges in womenchanges in women’’s roles on and off farms roles on and off farm

•• Men keeping abreast of technologicalMen keeping abreast of technologicalinnovations, more likely to work withoutinnovations, more likely to work withouthired hired labour labour and some working off farmand some working off farm

•• Women major share of household andWomen major share of household andcareworkcarework

GenderGender•• Gender negotiations at farm levelGender negotiations at farm level•• Background of rural societal genderBackground of rural societal gender

expectationsexpectations•• ‘‘Gendered fieldsGendered fields’’ (Sachs) (Sachs) –– customs and customs and

practices that shape agriculture practices that shape agriculture ––patrilineal inheritance, rural labour marketpatrilineal inheritance, rural labour marketsegmentationsegmentation

•• Role allocations genderedRole allocations gendered

Work - WomenWork - Women•• Barriers to women working in public sphereBarriers to women working in public sphere

removedremoved•• New inequalities eg workplace relations /New inequalities eg workplace relations /

segmentation / segmentation / casualisationcasualisation•• Primacy given to the Primacy given to the ‘‘farmerfarmer’’ role in rural role in rural

communities even when womencommunities even when women’’s efforts crucials efforts crucialto keeping the family farmingto keeping the family farming

•• 50% reliant on off-farm income / 80% done by50% reliant on off-farm income / 80% done bywomenwomen

•• Men public face of agricultureMen public face of agriculture•• Agricultural discourse shaped around male roleAgricultural discourse shaped around male role•• Lack of public validation of womenLack of public validation of women

Work - menWork - men•• MenMen’’s work on farms increaseds work on farms increased•• Hired labour foregoneHired labour foregone•• Smaller farms or younger generation moreSmaller farms or younger generation more

likely to be working off-farmlikely to be working off-farm•• ‘‘FarmerFarmer’’ role provides status role provides status –– difficult to difficult to

give upgive up

Drought impactsDrought impacts•• Women - increased work off-farm, on-farmWomen - increased work off-farm, on-farm

work, household and care work, financialwork, household and care work, financialmanagementmanagement

•• Men Men –– increased on-farm work, off-farm increased on-farm work, off-farmwork dried up, increasing social isolationwork dried up, increasing social isolation

The studyThe study•• Funded by NSWFunded by NSW

Agriculture andAgriculture andPremiersPremiers

•• 3 communities3 communities•• Over 120 in-depthOver 120 in-depth

interviewsinterviews•• 62 with farm family62 with farm family

members (37 women)members (37 women)

findingsfindings•• 75% women75% women

increased work onincreased work onfarmfarm

•• 50% women working50% women workingoff-farmoff-farm

•• (in remote area 38%(in remote area 38%often involvingoften involvinginvoluntaryinvoluntaryseparation)separation)

•• 15% men working off-15% men working off-farmfarm

Work pressures- womenWork pressures- women•• Even after the droughtEven after the drought’’s finished I am nows finished I am now

looking at working probably forever. looking at working probably forever. (farm(farmwoman)woman)

•• SheShe’’s 58 her backs 58 her back’’s not that flash. Shes not that flash. She’’s beens beenwanting to knock off work for a few years butwanting to knock off work for a few years butfinancially I donfinancially I don’’t see how itt see how it’’s possible. s possible. (farm(farmman)man)

•• ItIt’’s changed the work on the farm in a huge way.s changed the work on the farm in a huge way.My wifeMy wife’’s had to come into play in a big way.s had to come into play in a big way.SheShe’’s always been a lot of help, dons always been a lot of help, don’’t get met get mewrong.wrong. (farm man who now views his wife as an (farm man who now views his wife as anintegral farm worker rather than helper)integral farm worker rather than helper)

Involuntary separationInvoluntary separation•• I prefer to be at home than to have toI prefer to be at home than to have to

move [into town]. move [into town]. …… It was very hard. It It was very hard. Itwas very hard on everyone. We are a verywas very hard on everyone. We are a veryclose-knit family and I certainly didnclose-knit family and I certainly didn’’t wantt wantto move into town. It was very hard onto move into town. It was very hard on[son]. He used to get quite upset Sunday[son]. He used to get quite upset Sundaynight when I was ready to go which wasnight when I was ready to go which wasreally hard.really hard. (Farm woman moved 60 (Farm woman moved 60 kmskmsfor work)for work)

Work pressures - menWork pressures - men•• II’’m more connected to the land m more connected to the land …… It It’’s not justs not just

the land, itthe land, it’’s the stock, its the stock, it’’s all in there. I thinks all in there. I think(wife) sees it slightly differently. She looks more(wife) sees it slightly differently. She looks moreto the financial side of it and it hurts her badly.to the financial side of it and it hurts her badly.Like how are we going to education them, whatLike how are we going to education them, whatare we going to do are we going to do ……(farm man)(farm man)

•• YouYou’’ve lost a bit of your heart ve lost a bit of your heart …… you you’’ve lost a bitve lost a bitof yourself of yourself ……It will never be quite the same. ItIt will never be quite the same. Itwill never be quite as good again. There wonwill never be quite as good again. There won’’ttbe as much drive there. (farm man)be as much drive there. (farm man)

•• Anyone that wasnAnyone that wasn’’t related to thet related to thelandowner, well they were got rid of a longlandowner, well they were got rid of a longtime ago (farm man)time ago (farm man)

Emotional stress - womenEmotional stress - women•• I wake up early and lie there and drive myself crazyI wake up early and lie there and drive myself crazy

thinking about all the things that could go wrong.thinking about all the things that could go wrong. (farm (farmwoman)woman)

•• I'm fifty and I feel like I'm being dragged into being old.I'm fifty and I feel like I'm being dragged into being old.…… I have nobody to talk to and I don't want anyone I have nobody to talk to and I don't want anyonearound here knowing my business so I keep it to myself.around here knowing my business so I keep it to myself.(farm woman)(farm woman)

•• You go up and down all the time. You just feel soYou go up and down all the time. You just feel soexhausted. You feel like everything is going wrong and itexhausted. You feel like everything is going wrong and itjust makes you want to just cry. just makes you want to just cry. …… I went to work the I went to work theother day and [colleague] said to me other day and [colleague] said to me ‘‘youyou’’re really down.re really down.II’’ve never seen you this downve never seen you this down’’. . (Young farm woman)(Young farm woman)

Emotional stress - menEmotional stress - men

•• YouYou’’re never away from work on the farm.re never away from work on the farm.You are living on the thing so all your timeYou are living on the thing so all your timeis spent here is spent here …… you get very down you get very down ……(farm man)(farm man)

•• It has a dampening effect on spirits andIt has a dampening effect on spirits andattitude attitude …… you feel less motivated (farm you feel less motivated (farmman)man)

•• Some mornings when I get up and find ISome mornings when I get up and find Ican hardly walk outside for the arthritis can hardly walk outside for the arthritis …… I Isuffer from a lot of problems with mysuffer from a lot of problems with mybones, my back, osteoporosis, arthritis,bones, my back, osteoporosis, arthritis,and a few other problems. It takes me aand a few other problems. It takes me along time to get up and a long time to getlong time to get up and a long time to getdown and Idown and I’’m in pain all day long m in pain all day long …… We Wehave just grown old while this drought hashave just grown old while this drought hasbeen on. (older farm man)been on. (older farm man)

Monitoring othersMonitoring others•• I find I've got to keep going becauseI find I've got to keep going because

[husband] falls into holes.[husband] falls into holes. (farm woman (farm womanwho works off farm usually in short termwho works off farm usually in short termcontracts of full-time work)contracts of full-time work)

Ignoring own healthIgnoring own health•• I've always found it really difficult to go anywhereI've always found it really difficult to go anywhere

and have a proper and have a proper checkupcheckup. You have to follow. You have to followthrough with a specialist and it's so difficult andthrough with a specialist and it's so difficult andvery costly.very costly. (farm woman diagnosed with a (farm woman diagnosed with acancer who had delayed post-treatment checkcancer who had delayed post-treatment checkup)up)

•• I need to go to the dentist and I haven't been. II need to go to the dentist and I haven't been. Ineeded new glasses and I put them off for 12needed new glasses and I put them off for 12months until I would get headaches. I needmonths until I would get headaches. I needchiropractic treatment. I haven't been [for achiropractic treatment. I haven't been [for amassage] I have to send my husband inmassage] I have to send my husband inbecause I think he needs it more.because I think he needs it more. (farm woman) (farm woman)

Social isolationSocial isolation•• You canYou can’’t go anywhere because theyt go anywhere because they’’veve

[livestock] have to be fed (farm man)[livestock] have to be fed (farm man)•• I havenI haven’’t had time to get in [for footballt had time to get in [for football

training]. Itraining]. I’’m so tired during the day m so tired during the day ……Like itLike it’’s 110kms to come in from homes 110kms to come in from homeand itand it’’s finding the time s finding the time …… I don I don’’t come tot come totown a terrible lot anyway .. I dontown a terrible lot anyway .. I don’’t come tot come totown quite as much (farm man)town quite as much (farm man)

•• I have stopped doing anything social isI have stopped doing anything social isexhausting (farm woman)exhausting (farm woman)

Hiding stressHiding stress•• I donI don’’t like [husband] seeing me upset because It like [husband] seeing me upset because I

know that upsets him. know that upsets him. …… I I’’ve gone in [tove gone in [toneighbour] and Ineighbour] and I’’ll stay there a couple of hoursll stay there a couple of hours(crying in interview). So you get in the car and(crying in interview). So you get in the car andyou go home as if nothingyou go home as if nothing’’s happened. s happened. (Farm(Farmwoman)woman)

•• I didnI didn’’t think I was stressed. But I alwayst think I was stressed. But I alwayshad this sick feeling had this sick feeling …… I was worried about I was worried aboutthe stresses of the drought but I didnthe stresses of the drought but I didn’’ttthink it was visible think it was visible …… Mum could tell and Mum could tell and[wife] could tell [wife] could tell …… (young farm man) (young farm man)

Gendered expectationsGendered expectations•• I just thought, 'What are we doing here?I just thought, 'What are we doing here?

This is ridiculous. Everyone else has anThis is ridiculous. Everyone else has aneasier life.'easier life.' (farm woman) (farm woman)

•• The hours and the hard work that the guysThe hours and the hard work that the guysput in. It really breaks your heart. All theyput in. It really breaks your heart. All theywant to do is eat and go to bed (farmwant to do is eat and go to bed (farmwoman)woman)

SummarySummary•• Multiplicity of rolesMultiplicity of roles•• overworkoverwork•• Gendered expectationsGendered expectations•• Health impactsHealth impacts•• Drought has highlighted rather thanDrought has highlighted rather than

caused these issuescaused these issues

Policy implicationsPolicy implications•• Policy is gender-blindPolicy is gender-blind•• Ag policy in general and drought policy inAg policy in general and drought policy in

particular should acknowledge genderparticular should acknowledge genderimplicationsimplications

•• Services for women and men need to beServices for women and men need to beaccessibleaccessible