workshopswithwow

I love working with rural women. They are a generous audience who appreciate what you do for them, particularly if you work with them to determine their unique needs.

As a rural woman myself I have been fortunate to work with many groups of women for many years. I am particularly excited to be heading off to New Zealand on Sunday to work with the Agri-Womens Development Trust facilitating their “First Steps” program. This program is a two day exploratory workshop for rural women who have developed skills/strengths within the context of their rural communities, family and farming lives, who are now contemplating making changes to their lives, and taking their skills to a new level. These women are often the backbone of their communities, involved in organising, fund-raising and are usually self-starters.

New Zealand is fortunate to have Lindy Nelson – a self starter! – who has developed the Trust. More information can be found on the website http://www.awdt.org.nz.

The Partners in Grain project has also provided me with a unique opportunity to pursue my passion of facilitating women and young people in the Grains industry. This project is funded by GRDC has been successfully operating in Australia for 10 years providing regional training opportunities.

Working in local regions can bring its own set of challenges. Here a few of my tips for working with rural women;

• Find a local champion who shares a passion for learning and community
• Research local events, school events etc  – don’t expect women to turn up if the local school has sports day!
• Run the workshop from 9.30-3.00 allow women time to get the children off to school and pick them up afterwards.
• Ask the group what they would like to learn and adjust the workshop to meet their immediate needs.
• Check about catering, tea and coffee. Support the locals and ask for local catering – choose a local group that’s important to your audience.
• Check what’s available at the venue and what you need to bring – country venues may also need setting up so allow plenty of time.
• Due to distance it isn’t always possible to see the venue prior to the workshop so ask lots of questions. Run through a check list about – lighting, heating/cooling, floor covering (acoustics) size etc.
• Talk to your local champion about promotion of the event. What is the most effective communication mechanism for that district – school newsletter, community newsletter etc.
• Having a flexible approach and being baby friendly provides an opportunity for more women to attend your training event.
• Finally – always finish on time – school pickups are important!

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