This Monday, November 25, farmers from Aude brought their demands before the Trèbes Chamber of Agriculture, in order to denounce the prejudices that persist in the agricultural world. This action comes in addition to the various mobilizations which have been taking place for several weeks in Occitanie and France.
Rallies in front of prefectures, blockades of purchasing centers like in Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe in Tarn, or “fires of anger” like in Haute-Garonne… Many actions have been implemented in recent weeks by the various unions agricultural in the Occitanie region. But among these mobilized farmers, there are also women farmers. Like their male counterparts, they are participating in demonstrations to demand better working conditions and to denounce the trade agreements between the European Union and Mercosur, a treaty that farmers accuse of favoring imports that do not meet strict standards. imposed in Europe.
If they are affected by these struggles, farmers, as women, also have demands of their own. This is what the Aude Peasant Confederation union wishes to highlight this Monday, November 25 during a rally organized in front of the Trèbes Chamber of Agriculture.
Farmers demonstrate in Trèbes, Aude
“We are mobilizing to make visible the place of women in agriculture,” explains Solenn Guillaume, member of the Aude Peasant Confederation. On the occasion of the international day against violence against women, she participated in an action in Trèbes, alongside many other farmers from the department, as part of a national campaign denouncing the prejudices persisting in the agricultural world.
Indeed, more and more women farmers are coming together within unions to demand “improvement of the social rights of peasant women who should guarantee a better quality of life at work on our farms, better health and better pensions. » Because, described by Solenn Guillaume, their working conditions remain marked by persistent inequalities and challenges specific to women in the agricultural sector.
Maternity leave, gender bias… The daily life of a farmer
According to Solenn Guillaume, although maternity leave has been aligned with the general regime since 2019, with “100%” replacement for 35 hours per week, “less than half of peasant women used replacement during their maternity leave in 2020 “. According to the farmer, this is partly explained by a lack of information, but above all by the difficulty of finding replacements: “The replacement service covers the costs, but it does not always provide a person. It's up to us to look, and if we don't find one, we won't be replaced. » So, young mothers often return to work quickly, because the animals and crops don't wait.
Furthermore, women farmers in Aude denounce omnipresent discrimination in the agricultural sector, where prejudices about women's abilities remain tenacious. Solenn Guillaume underlines: “Many peasant women, in the process of settling in, hear: “Are you sure you are capable? It's still difficult for a woman! ” This is not said in a malicious way, but our skills and abilities are constantly questioned. » She adds that this distrust also extends to financial institutions: “Bankers are more afraid of lending to a single woman farmer. »
The agricultural sector still sexist
Furthermore, in this largely male environment, sexism lives hard. Solenn Guillaume recalls in particular a significant episode that occurred at the beginning of summer 2023. Sandrine Rousseau and Marine Tondelier, two national figures from Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV), had gone to Aude and had faced farmers protesting against agribashing (criticism of intensive agriculture). The two women were thus taken to task, then insulted by the peasants in these terms: “Go make the soup, bitch”.
Solenn Guillaume continues: “In 2023, these misogynistic comments, made by a wine grower, had already been denounced, but these same comments were nevertheless repeated in January 2024 on signs publicly displayed during a mobilization. Our representatives had their photo taken in front of it and posted it on Facebook. » For her, these actions demonstrate the way in which “certain men consider the role and place of women in agriculture. » She nevertheless qualifies: “It is unfortunately not specific to agriculture, it is found in all environments. »
Farmers' demands
To remove these stigmatizations, the farmers of Aude are making several demands:
- Improvement of maternity leave and replacement coverage,
- Revaluation of all small agricultural pensions,
- Financing the fight against sexist and sexual violence,
- Fight against discrimination against peasant women in the agricultural and para-agricultural world,
- Investment in ergonomics and agricultural equipment adapted to farmers,
- Correction of inequalities in access to land and bank credit.
For Solenn Guillaume, these demands are complementary to those put forward within the framework of the agricultural demonstrations against Mercosur. And the women farmers’ movement is only just beginning: “It’s not just a one-off mobilization. We want women to be recognized for their true value and for their role in agriculture to no longer be minimized. We are not asking for privileges, just equality and respect! »
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