International Rural Women’s Day – Standing on Strong Shoulders

When I think of the women who shaped New Zealand’s rural story, I often come back to Jane Deans.

 In the 1850s she found herself widowed, with a young child and a farm to manage in a new country with the barest of resources.

Instead of retreating, she rose to the challenge.

She kept Riccarton farm running, lobbied for schools and health services, and fought to protect Riccarton Bush – a stand of native forest that still exists today because of her determination.

Jane’s story resonates with me because it captures the grit and guardianship that so many rural women carry, often quietly, on their shoulders.

 She didn’t seek recognition, but her actions left a legacy of community and conservation that still speaks across the generations.

For me, she symbolises not just one pioneer, but the countless women – our grandmothers, mothers, and daughters – who rose before dawn to milk cows, raised families in draughty cottages, planted trees to shelter their homes, and held communities together when times were tough.

As we celebrate International Rural Women’s Day on October 15, I see the same strength and resilience in the women we feature in this issue.

From North Otago farmer Jane Smith, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind on some of the biggest challenges facing our sector, to Emma Higgins, a senior analyst at Rabobank helping farmers make sense of global markets, rural women continue to lead in ways that matter.

Their voices shape not only their own businesses but the wider agricultural landscape.

And then there are women like Emma Poole, who made history as the first female winner of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year and famously spoke of “breaking the grass ceiling.”

 She reminds us that leadership doesn’t always look the same – sometimes it’s at the milking shed, sometimes in the boardroom, sometimes on a stage watched by the whole country.

For this issue, I asked our featured women to describe rural woman in three words – and their answers reflect the different strengths women bring to the agricultural table.

For me, those three words would be Resilient, adaptable and determined.

When I think of Jane Deans, and when I meet women like Jane Smith, Emma Higgins, Karen Williams and the many other women I have the privilege to highlight in our sector for Rural Guardian, I see a thread connecting them all.

 It’s a story of women who step forward, often in challenging circumstances, to care for land, people, and community.

That, to me, is the true heart of rural leadership.

This International Rural Women’s Day, I feel proud to be able to tell their stories in these pages – and grateful to be part of a sector where women continue to stand tall, on strong shoulders.