As the year draws to an end, we publish the sixteenth issue of Women in Ag Magazine since its launch in 2021.
A lot has happened since then. From the dream that originated at a dinner table in the Flemish countryside to travelling around Europe to speak at events and panels, meet VPs and CEOs, work on awareness campaigns for more inclusivity in ag machinery and hosting the third Women in Ag Awards since our partnership with the DLG. Women in Ag is not just a magazine, it is becoming what I always hoped it would: a worldwide community of women in agriculture and the men supporting them, exchanging ideas, learning from each other, addressing issues and, most of all, inspiring the next generations of women in ag. I could not be prouder of what we are building together as a community of women in a male-dominated industry.
There is, however, still a lot of work to be done. Gender equality is far from achieved and while the inequalities are not the same around the world, we see a regression in women’s rights as the world seems to slide back to a form of aggressive conservatism we worked so hard to overcome. The fight for equality needs to be intersectional and the return to a fear-driven clinging to “traditional values” has been a sad illustration of that, as we were witnesses to not only women’s rights being turned back decades, but also the systemic abolition of LGBTQI+ and trans rights, the return of racist discourse and the raging of not one but several wars and genocides. It is all connected. Hate begets hate. Fear begets fear.
I firmly believe that we as women can set an example, just like we are doing already in our respective professional fields. We know what it is like to be seen as ‘other’, to fight back against prejudice and to listen and be compassionate. So let us lick our wounds during this winter break because it has been a hard year and we deserve a rest, but then let’s gather our courage, reach out to each other, form a community of kindness and understanding and amplify the voices of the people who are being silenced. Let us, truly, support each other, not just as women but as humans. That, to me, is the true definition of girl power.
As we close our laptops, put away our gear and prepare to gather with our loved ones around a shared meal and gifts, let us take a moment to realize the immense privilege we have of being safe, warm and fed. Let’s truly appreciate that these holidays and then let’s work towards that same privilege for everyone in the next year.
It’s ambitious, I know, but there is nothing more awesome than a woman’s ambition.
Have a wonderful winter break, a merry Christmas if you celebrate it and a beautiful start of the new year.
I hope you enjoy this latest issue of Women in Ag Magazine.
Love,
Kim.
