Little-f farmer, big-F farmer, or not at all? Questions of identity amongst Australian farming women

Much like other locales, women in Australia have typically not been given formal or informal farmer status. Despite having contributed to farming businesses for decades, their contribution beyond being a “non-productive silent partner” only received formal recognition in the Australian census in 1994. While many in Australia have argued that women should be recognised as farmers, how someone identifies is deeply personal and relates to whether (or not) the individual sees themselves carrying out a particular role or belonging to a particular social group. Drawing from qualitative focus groups with women involved in farming businesses in South Australia, this paper aims to highlight that, despite many women fighting for formal recognition for their involvement in farming businesses, some do not want to assume the identity of ‘farmer’ as they do not subscribe to the associated identity standard. Using identity theory as a lens to analyse qualitative data, I explore how women navigate their own identities in relation to the farm. While they may be identified by others as a farmer, or as a “farmer's wife”, there is observable tension between how others see them and how they see themselves.