“The cattle woman must take a step forward, make our work visible”

On November 27, Rosario Arredondo, dairy cattle rancher, assumed the position of president of the Interprofessional of the dairy sector, InLac, being the first woman to occupy this position. Together with her we analyze the role that women occupy in this sector, until now almost invisible despite the fact that most of the livestock farms are managed by women.

By Marga Lopez Agrifood Journalist

What does it mean for you to occupy this position in such a traditional sector?

As a dairy cattle rancher, I had been participating in the Interprofessional for more than 12 years, attending their meetings and getting involved in all the projects that had been developing since its refoundation. But I thought that I should and could do more for this sector, for this activity that thousands of families live on. And so I decided to take a step forward, and participate actively in decision making. I have always been a proactive woman, not only in personal matters, but also professionals, because I believe that it is the best way to defend our interests. It is true that a woman has never assumed this position, and for that reason I feel very proud and with a great responsibility, because I am aware that it is a great step in terms of gender equality.

Do you think that the Interprofessional should carry out policies in favor of equality in the livestock and dairy sector?

I believe that women should be in these bodies not so much because it is marked by the Law of Parity but by our capacity, professionalism and worth, that we have it. In this sense, I encourage all my colleagues to take a step forward and make our work visible.

Within the livestock sector, what presence does the woman have, what could be done to make the livestock woman more visible?

In dairy cattle, I would say that in most ranches we milk women, we do a very hard job, morning and afternoon, but invisible, because when there are cooperative or sectoral meetings, the presence of women is nil. But we are often the ones who think we do not have to be there, we do not feel comfortable. And that is something that we must change, we can not stay at home. We have to go out and claim our role as a woman and as a worker, only in this way will we be able to occupy positions of responsibility. If we do not propose it, we will not get it.