The Rural Voice, 1978-09, Page 51Farming Around the World
Rural American Women fight
Although rural women in America
number 34 million. they have been slow to
organize nationwide, as their concerns vary
significantly from coast to coast. They seek
political impact on a national level as well
as confronting regional problems through
grass roots organizations. Thus, the one
year old group "Rural American Women,
Inc." (RAW was formed to achieve these
goals.'
RAW is a coalition of individuals
and local organizations representing
women from Alaska and Southwestern
Indian reservations, California migrant
workers' camps, Illinois farms, Texas
ranches, New England villages and
Appalachian towns. Their head office is in
Washington D.C. and they are prepared to
lobby for its members on Capitol Hill.
keeping members abreast of one another's
activities through a newsletter. press for
Congressional hearings on issues con-
fronting rural women and launch a
campaign to educate a misinformed public
about the realities of rural life.
RAW founder Jane Threatt says,
"Nobody understands rural people except
country bumpkin" label
themselves. One problem is that
journalists and politicians have lumped
them to-gether as Rural American - one
third of the population - as if their
problems were,of the same depth
everywhere, regrdless of race, income or
life styles. They rely on the same few
outdated statistics about rural dwellers
from the Dept. of Agriculture and the
Census Bureau."
Dr. Carolyn Karr, Professor of Social
Studies at Marshall University in Hunting-
ton, West Virginia believes that isolation is
the central issue for rural women "who
have a love -hate relationship" with the
land. They love the peace and the lifestyle
that is governed by the seasons rather than
the dock. But the isolation can be
unbearable; and the inability to get to
social, health or educational centres
creates more problems.
RAW members also hope that men will
benefit from the group's effort to uproot
the idea that rural people are "hicks" or
"bumpkins"; they have also sent telegrams
to U.S. President Carter, seeking in-
vestigations into human and civil rights
violations on Louisiana sugar cane plant-
a tions and among other migrant and
seasonal farm workers.
Farm officials
here from China
Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan
extended a welcome to China's Vice -
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr.
Chao Fan, who arrived in Canada for a
one-month tour of Canadian agriculture.
Vice -Minister Chao and nine of his
senior officials will study Canadian farming
practices, particularly the management of
farm operations.
"About' 80 per cent of China's
population is engaged in food production,
compared with less than five per cent in
Canada. During their stay in Canada, the
visitors will see how independent farm
operators are able to combine land, labor
and capital into efficient and profitable
food producing units." Mr. Whelan said.
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THE RURAL VOICE/ SEPTEMBER, 1978 PG. 51