Rural women shoulder enormous responsibilities, yet their challenges are often unspoken. Photo: AAP/Lukas Coch
As part of its tax-time appeal, ‘No Farmer Stands Alone’, Rural Aid is shining a spotlight on the essential, but often overlooked, contributions of women in agriculture.
Women are the backbone of Australian farms, playing vital roles as labourers, decision-makers, carers and community leaders. They face the same emotional and financial stressors as men, compounded by the added weight of often managing households and supporting others through crises.
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Rural Aid’s Pulse of the Paddock survey found that 58 per cent of farmers rated their mental health as average or worse, with 38 per cent citing barriers to accessing support services for themselves and their families.
For many rural women, those barriers are even more pronounced.
“Too often, when we think of a ‘farmer,’ we picture a man in a paddock, but women are deeply involved in every part of farming life,” Rural Aid’s mental health and wellbeing manager Myf Pitcher said.
“They shoulder enormous responsibility — running farms, raising families and guiding communities through disasters. Yet their mental health challenges are often invisible and unspoken.”
Alyce Parker is known for kicking goals on the footy field. She wants to help women on the land kick goals too. Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP
GWS AFLW player and Rural Aid’s newest ambassador Alyce Parker knows those challenges first-hand. Raised on a farm in Holbrook, NSW, she understands the emotional toll rural life can take, especially on women.
“Growing up on the land taught me resilience, but it also showed me how isolating and relentless farming life can be,” Alyce said.
“I’ve seen the pressure my mum and other rural women carry. They give everything to their families and farms but often put their own wellbeing last.
“Rural women are strong, but strength doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get support. That’s why I’m proud to be part of Rural Aid — because they understand that connection and compassion make a real difference.”
Farmer Carol Hill, from Coraki in the Northern Rivers, echoes that sentiment.
After years of droughts, bushfires and floods, it was Rural Aid’s personal approach that helped her through.
“You don’t want to admit you’re struggling,” Carol said.
“Farmers are strong, but sometimes we need help too. Rural Aid doesn’t just give you a number to call, they call you. They come to you. That human connection is everything.”
In the past 12 months, Rural Aid has seen a 55 per cent rise in new mental health referrals. Its counsellors travel on-farm, make regular check-in calls and deliver practical, compassionate support to families doing it tough.
“This tax time, we’re asking Australians to stand with farming families, especially the women who are so often the emotional backbone of the farm,” Myf said.
“Every donation can help Rural Aid connect with more people in need, both practically and emotionally, through the many ups and downs of farm life.”
Donations support one-on-one on-farm counselling and wellbeing calls, mental health workshops for rural communities and resilience programs for kids and teens in remote schools.
