A Twitter row has broken out after the Liverpool Agricultural Discussion Society (Lads) voted to retain a ban on women attending.
The discussion rules state “membership of the society shall be open to men actively engaged in agriculture and its associated activities, and men, who in the opinion of the committee would be an asset to the society”.
A vote was held on Wednesday 6 April on a motion to allow women into the society. In total, between 60 and 70 members (about 90% of those present) voted to retain the ban.
See also: Opinion: Ability, not gender, is everything in farming
Lisa Edwards, an arable farmer based in Lancashire and county chairwoman of the NFU in Lancashire, lashed out on Twitter about the results of the vote.
I was not there last night for vote but
Women are not excluded from attendingI do think it is a little bit like the local @andysmanclubuk & with men taking there lives at a higher rate than women each year I don’t see it as been a bad thing tbh
— Olly harrison 🥛🍔🌱AccidentalYoutuber (@agricontract) April 7, 2022
She tweeted: “Very sad that Liverpool Agricultural Discussion Society voted to retain ban on women attending.
“Even in 2022 women in ag still face barriers to networking and learning in their local farming community. #discrimination #timeforchange.”
Mixed response
Ms Edwards’ tweet attracted a mixed response.
Regenerative farmer Anna Jackson tweeted: “I feel like a protest at their town hall where they meet would be very do-able.”
Rachel Addyman tweeted that her first reaction was “what the heck?” But when she started to think about all the female-only ag groups, she asked: “Is it so wrong?”
“TBH it’s one of the reasons I’ve not joined Women in Dairy, although I am in Yorkshire Women in Farming. We could be in danger of having double standards,” she tweeted.
Society member Merseyside arable farmer Olly Harrison was not at Wednesday’s meeting and so did not take part in the vote. But he rejected any suggestions that the group was discriminatory.
Name outdated
“Having heard a presentation from the guy that started Andy’s Man Club, who, like myself, lost a friend through depression, I believe the stigma around mental health is still quite strong,” said Mr Harrison.
“To discourage a club which is already set up and is exclusively for men would not be right, especially as other people are trying to set them up.
“The society meets six or seven times a year. I believe it is a good support network for males who often work in an isolated industry.”
Mr Harrison added: “I don’t think that the institute is outdated, but maybe its name is outdated.
“Within the region, there are lots of opportunities for agriculture-based learning and topics provided by AHDB or NFU.
“There are also plenty of opportunities for female-only clubs such as Lady Farmers, the Women’s Institute, Ladies in Beef and Ladies in Pigs.”
One society member, who did not want to be named, said: “Rightly or wrongly, it is a meeting place for men’s support. It has been going since the 1920s and the rules state that attendees should wear a jacket and tie.
“The society meets around six to seven times a year. It’s a focal point to meet up. If anything, the society name is no longer relevant and it should be changed, rather than the rules.”
The foundations for Lads – originally known as Liverpool and District Junior Farmers Club – were laid at a meeting at 30 Great Homer street in Liverpool on 20 February 1928. The motion, “That a young farmers club be formed” was agreed.
