The Rotary Club of Caloundra, Qld, recently had Dr Sarah Casey as a guest speaker, who gave members a fascinating look into her work with rural women.
By Anne Matthews, D9560 Passport, Rotary Club, Qld
Dr Sarah Casey had long imagined bringing to life the stories of diverse rural women, given her background as an ‘insider-outsider’.
Born into a fifth generation Queensland farming family, Sarah has always admired the strength of people in the bush, but has seen many almost reach breaking point due to increasing challenges to life on the land.
As such, she is passionate about helping people create off-farm income sources, and enabling them to stay in the regional, remote and rural communities they love.
To date, Sarah has initiated four projects centring on rural women’s stories, income diversification strategies, advocacy, and coping with changing climate conditions. She has brought together teams of researchers to work with government and industry partners to bring these projects to life.
Associate Professor Gail Crimmins, who hails from Cardiff, Wales, was invited to join the first of these projects when the two women met at the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2018. She has remained on each project as an investigator as the projects have developed and grown.
While Sarah’s desire to commence these projects was deeply personal, Gail’s experience was vastly different. But they were both drawn to a common interest: supporting women to live their best lives. Since 2018, they have been working on a series of projects, collectively called ‘Stories of Country Women’.
In 2018, with support from the USC and industry partners, Lifeline and AGL Ltd, these inspirational two women set out to capture the voices of women in long-term drought-affected southwest Queensland. They wanted to understand why these women choose to stay in their communities despite the tough conditions and how they cope with ongoing drought.
PICTURED: To date, Stories of Country Women has encompassed four projects centring on rural women’s stories, income diversification strategies, advocacy, and coping with changing climate conditions. Sarah and Gail’s work aims to build on their expertise and experiences, ensuring that rural voices are heard and their needs are met as they navigate these challenging times. (Photos: Tracey Davis)
Through interviews, they uncovered stories about their resilience, from creative ways to earn extra income to the deep sense of community that keeps them going. They also looked at the decline of social clubs and the impact of limited representation in decision-making. Their findings were shared through a series of micro-documentaries, an industry report, and academic papers, aimed at ensuring these vital voices are heard and considered in policymaking.
The second project was born to examine digital literacy and business communication needs in the Balonne Shire in southwest Queensland, more than 500 kilometres from Brisbane. Here, they discovered that many local women struggled with digital skills, digital inclusion and connectivity, and that this was affecting their ability to boost their income.
“These inspirational two women set out to capture the voices of women in long-term drought-affected southwest Queensland. They wanted to understand why these women choose to stay in their communities despite the tough conditions and how they cope with ongoing drought.”
To address this, Sarah and Gail teamed up with Care Balonne, a local organisation led by Councillor Robyn Fuhrmeister, and other experts to find out exactly what the community needed. They conducted surveys and a think tank with local leaders, which highlighted significant gaps in digital competencies. In response, they rolled out digital communication workshops, offered mentorship, and created an online resource hub to help locals improve their digital skills and business communication.
Following this, the Real Rural Women’s Leadership program was developed in 2021, building on their previous work focused on empowering women leaders in southwest Queensland.
Thanks to two grants from the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Sara and Gail interviewed women leaders to pinpoint their needs.
PICTURED: Based in Southwest Queensland, Bush Mits founder and director Abbie Lewis is on a mission to protect the hands of everyday working women. Her company makes durable UPF 50+ sun safe products to protect Aussie farmers while also looking sleek and stylish. (Photo: Lisa Alexander Photography)
They then developed a mentorship program, hosted professional development workshops, and launched a 30-episode podcast series to give these women a public platform and strengthen their professional networks.
The latest project, Livelihood Diversity for Climate Change Adaptation, was developed in 2023. Aimed at finding ways for rural communities in Australia and the Pacific Islands to better handle climate change, they are exploring how different livelihood strategies can help communities adapt.
Sara and Gail are working with USC colleagues Professor Patrick Nunn and Roselyn Kumar on the project.
Their goal is to identify effective strategies and understand how they can contribute to more sustainable rural livelihoods.
These projects show a deep commitment to understanding and supporting rural communities.
They recognise the unique challenges they face, and the critical role women play, even if they’re not in formal leadership positions. Sarah and Gail’s work aims to build on their expertise and experiences, ensuring that rural voices are heard and their needs are met as they navigate these challenging times.
“There are more projects yet to come as we roll these out throughout other places,” Sarah said.
Website: www.storiesofcountrywomen.com
Podcasts: open.spotify.com/show/39wEelk98KNZARHZTebYMi?si=21975f8e978d45d4
Microdocumentaries: www.facebook.com/realruralwomensleadership/videos