Gender, migration, and drought: an exploratory study of women’s roles in Mallee farming communities

Abstract

A gender difference exists in access to resources and decision-making in issues of drought as women are overwhelmingly denied a “voice” (Clarke, 2014). This is particularly prevalent in irrigation and farming communities, which carry on a legacy of patriarchal stewardship over farming and agricultural matters. This exploratory study considers the role of women in farming practice in the Mallee region and how they view their position as decision-makers in drought and water management. This study presents three key findings from interviews of women within the region: women are increasingly adopting the label “farmer” so that they can be “counted” and given decision-making power regarding drought and water. Interviewees also stated a distinct difference in gender relations within horticultural dryland farming compared to irrigation farming. That is, many found that gender dynamics were more progressive and equal within dryland. Some stated that this was due to many irrigation farmers being recent migrants and more likely to have traditional gender roles in their own family unit. The dynamic between white settler farming women and those who had recently settled in the area (first-generation migrants) was wholly unexpected and highlights a potential “us-and-them” distinction in farming. Despite the psychological distance of drought during the time of the interviews (many had recently experienced flooding), there was nevertheless a strong sense of the danger of drought and the foreboding sense that it was coming. Interviewees stated that women were pivotal during times of drought as they were the ones to draw on community networks for help, to apply for grants, and also to supplement family income from off-farm work. This research should be noted for its limitations, particularly regarding the low sample size. As an exploratory study, it cannot be said to be representative and, as such, can only present potential areas for future research.