The Rural Voice, 1981-08, Page 16DIRECTIONS
by Joanne Rimmer
Rural women, being both producers
and consumers of food, hold a special
position and have potential to be a
valuable voice in agriculture. However. it
is felt that to reach this potential. there
must be a change within the women and
this change would be aided by an
increase in education opportunities.
For this reason, Centralia College of
Agricultural Technology will co-sponsor a
conference with Conestoga College to
provide rural women with information
and assess their educational needs. The
conference, held the last weekend in
August, at Centralia, will feature six
seminars and two guest speakers.
It is appropriately entitled
"Directions", since the college is experi-
menting with approaches it will take with
regard to rural women. Helene Cameron,
a women's program co-ordinator for
Conestoga College, said the college
"does not know which direction to take as
this is its first attempt at such a
program."
Friday night's guest will be Laura
Sabia, a well-known speaker and writer,
who will concentrate her talk on the
directions women should take in the
1980 s. Sabia was director of the Federal
Status of Women Council in 1972, and
has served on several committees
concerned with women's issues.
The seminars Saturday will deal with
some of these issues, and will present
ideas organizers have for courses which
will be beneficial to the rural woman.
Each woman will choose a morning
seminar from among Women and the
Law, Women and Self -Actualization, or
Women in the Workforce. and an
afternoon seminar from Women who
work at Home, Women and Spirituality or
Women and their Relationships.
As suggested by the topics, the
conference is for the benefit of all rural
women. Cameron recently described it as
"an opportunity for those women living
in small communities, in rural areas, to
spend some time together and examine
the challenges they face."
Kemptville college has been a model
for colleges intending to design such a
program. It has sponsored courses and
short seminars for women for several
years. Kemptville was urged to begin
these programs by Women for the
Survival of Agriculture (WSA), a national
A conference for rural women to
increase their educational opportunities
organization based in the Ottawa area.
WSA has promoted the education
program as positive, informative and
informal. The instructors are from rural
backgrounds, and will teach subjects
which are "meaty" and intensive.
A co-organizer of WSA. Dianne
Harkin, will be the second speaker at the
Centralia conference. She will be sharing
these and other ideas with the women
and give suggestions on how the college
can help meet the needs of rural women.
Harkin, a rural woman from Winchester
area, is a dynamic, active organizer who
has been involved in several similar
conferences such as one in Ottawa last
year.
Brenda McIntosh. R.R. 4. Seaforth,
attended the same conference in Ottawa
and has plans to attend "Directions." As
a member of WSA, she feels the true
story of agriculture should be told and
feels rural women are in a suitable
position to tell it. while working in
co-operation with other agricultural
organizations. McIntosh feels women
need practice with public -speaking skills
to assist them to tell the agricultural
story. "A lot of women hesitate to say
what they know to be true."
McIntosh was upset with a recent
report challenging the Marketing Board
published by the economic council, and
felt this was one example where rural
women could rectify the situation. Ron
White. the vice-president of Ontario
Federation of Agriculture. recently spoke
to the Consumers Association in London,
and this was widely covered said
McIntosh. "That's what we all should be
doing." she said.
Public speaking is an example of what
Centralia could offer if there is enough
interest. Cameron said "we have to aim
courses directly at the women's particular
needs." By discovering the women have
needs in particular areas, the college will
have a direction to work toward.
Conestoga held a workshop last winter
(cont. on page 10)
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