FARM WOMEN TO GET HELP FROM KELLOGG FOUNDATION TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
WASHINGTON -- June 1, 1998 -- Mary Salce, Australian dairy farmer and organizer of the first International Conference on Women in Agriculture, knows how valuable agricultural conferences can be. She also knows how hard it can be for farm women to attend. That’s why she was glad to hear about the Kellogg Foundation’s decision to provide $70,000 to help women attend the second International Conference on Women in Agriculture.
"The challenges facing all of us on agriculture can best be met by sharing solutions and expertise," she said. "But isolation is still a fact of life for many rural women. That’s why these conferences are so important, and why it’s so heartening to hear about this offer of assistance."
The Kellogg Foundation’s grant will help cover costs for travel and registration for 30 American farm women, who otherwise would be unable to attend the conference in Washington, D.C., being held June 28-July 2.
More than 1,000 women from 40 countries are expected to the attend the conference. It is a follow up to the Fourth U.N. Conference on Women that was held in 1995 in Beijing, and the first International Conference on Women in Agriculture four years ago in Melbourne, Australia.
The conference will focus on practical solutions and strategies that women can take back to their communities. Participants will share success stories, hear from experts, and develop networks that will help them tackle the challenges facing the agricultural community. Among the topics that will be addressed: Women Managing Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture, Insurance Purchasing Groups for Rural Women, Ethics of Modern Agriculture, Alternative Marketing Options, and Women Farmers and the Global Economy. Presenters for these 100 breakout sessions come from 20 different countries.
The conference is being sponsored by the President’s Interagency Council on Women. Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development, Jill Long Thompson, is the conference chair.
"Kellogg’s commitment to strengthening rural communities and their assistance in helping rural women participate in this conference is commendable," Long Thompson said. "History shows that the world benefits from women’s contribution to agriculture, and will continue to benefit as long as women have access to the necessary tools to help them help themselves and each other."
Additional information about the conference is available at the ICWA website, or by calling 202/720-4581.
Contact:
Jim Brownlee, (202) 720-2091