“At first, no one took me seriously…”: a hotline to listen to women farmers

Céline Michelon, Anaïs Amalric-Joary and Lise Fons, three women committed to supporting their fellow farmers. Midi Libre – Michael Esdourrubailh

To respond to isolation, precariousness, invibilization, lack of recognition, inequalities… the Mutualité sociale agricole, MSA Languedoc, launched, this Thursday, January 30 in Montpellier, a free listening number dedicated to women members of the agricultural and rural sector. 

Safety shoes in size 36? Not available. The tractor seat that only locks from 50 kg? Impossible to start for the lightest of female farmers. These anecdotes would almost make you smile if they did not reflect the scale of a plural and deeply rooted problem: agriculture remains, in many aspects, largely unsuited to its female workers. It is from this observation that the MSA Languedoc (Gard, Hérault, Lozère) officially launched, this Thursday, January 30 in Montpellier, a free telephone listening line intended for women in the agricultural and rural sector, already tested in Hérault since March 2022.

A lifeline

Yesterday morning, testimonies poured in, painting a picture of a daily life marked by exhaustion, isolation, lack of consideration and difficulty accessing the most basic rights. “At first, no one took me seriously, they told me I was too old to start… at 47!” says Carole Beaurin-Iskhakov, from the Fil au café collective, a farmer and horse breeder. Worse: I didn't come from a farming background! » Anaïs, 25, at the back of the room, speaks: «I have experienced all the problems we talk about here: isolation, lack of recognition… When I started out, I would have liked to be able to confide.»

Among the topics addressed by the MSA this Thursday, January 30, health emerged as a key issue. Barbara Vialan
Faced with these obstacles, the MSA listening line has established itself as a pivot. Managed by social workers trained in reformulation and orientation, it offers a caring space for discussion and personalized support. In less than two years in Hérault, the system has already made it possible to identify 60 types of recurring difficulties (professional, social, health) and to encourage the creation of collective dynamics: a WhatsApp group, a coffee meeting and the organization of a short wellness stay in Spain. Two days, almost trivial for many but absolutely magical for them.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

A severe diagnosis

There are many obstacles: difficulty in finding bank financing, lack of childcare in rural areas, mobility problems… “In 13 departments, there are simply no gynecologists, notes Senator Marie-Pierre Monnier (Drôme), co-rapporteur of the study Women and rurality and vice-president of the delegation for women's rights, present yesterday. And women who do not have a license (20% of them in rural areas, editor's note) or no other means of transport, find themselves trapped. »

Senator Monnier (Drôme), co-rapporteur of the study “Women and rurality” and vice-president of the delegation for women's rights. Barbara Vialan
In the fields, the tools are poorly calibrated: “A team can require a strength that not everyone has, continues Céline Michelon, winegrower. And, tools better adapted to women's strengths would also be a benefit for men. »
According to the MSA, the average remuneration of female farmers remains 29% lower than that of their male counterparts, and their pension is capped at around €570 per month. In official bodies, few women sit, even though they represent a third of the workforce. “They participate but, adds Céline Michelon, they don't think about taking responsibility, even though they do the job!” And, as the senator points out: “Women are underrepresented despite the quotas in place.”

15 proposals

On the sidelines of this inauguration, the MSA Languedoc presented its White Paper Women in Agriculture, punctuated by 15 proposals to improve the status of women in agricultural professions. The first concerns statutory recognition: there are still too many women without social protection or retirement rights. Next comes access to health: strengthening prevention (screening, gynecological monitoring), developing local services and taking into account mental overload (childcare, support for caregivers). Another pillar: making equipment more ergonomic and less demanding.
The White Paper also emphasizes the need to train and support to encourage women's involvement in professional and political bodies. Finally, one component aims to improve replacement (for leave, family obligations, training), so that women farmers can take a breather, train and assume their mandates. Yesterday, the inauguration of this listening number marked a further step in this mobilization.

MSA listening line: 0 800 104 042 (free). I subscribe to read the rest