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Female seasonal workers gain more than just fruit from their labour

Source
ABC News - March 14, 2020

Eden Hynninen – She misses her family, but for the first time in her life she feels financially independent and knows that her skills on a farm are not based on gender.

Ms Vieira is a group leader and picker on a berry farm in northern Tasmania, where she supports 160 seasonal workers from her country – many are women.

"Unemployment is high back home, and in our culture, I know that women are still left behind.

"Our parents believe our job is to stay at home cooking in the kitchen, but since working here, I've noticed the girls have really good performance levels.

"After a few weeks working, they realise they can do this work like the men can."

Hillwood Berries general manager Simon Dornauf said horticulture had been a male-dominated industry, but that was changing.

"Soft fruits like berries are delicate and need a lot of detail and finessing in what we do – nothing is heavy in picking strawberries, so anyone can do it," he said.

"The majority of our agronomists are female and are really diligent with planning and have led themselves to these roles, it's not all about driving tractors and banging in posts."

'It's quite different from home'

Ms Vieira started working under the Seasonal Worker Program in 2017 with 40 others from East Timor.

"We were the first group from home in Tasmania. Now, we've got over 160 East Timorese here and the number of women continues to grow," she said.

"Being a group leader can be challenging, leading many people with different cultures and characters. They are living away from home and so I try to make sure they don't get homesick.

"I help them learn how to work at the farm because it's quite different from home. We don't have these kinds of berries, except for strawberries, and the main difference is how they are planted."

Ms Vieira said there were no tunnels or irrigation systems back home, so it had taken time to understand them.

She worked for the United Nations in East Timor, but when the peacekeeping mission ended, it closed its doors and she was again out of work.

"Since they closed, many are struggling to find jobs. In 2018 we had about 20,000 applicants for the Seasonal Worker Program, but only about 4,000 are here in Australia," Ms Vieira said.

"There is low education, domestic violence and a lack of information about work at home – I know it's something the government is working on.

"I've had a chat with some other female workers here who said their husbands are not working at home. There are low wages; a babysitter might make $100 a month, which is low."

Better education

After a season of working, she can send her daughter to a better college and help pay her mother's bills.

Last month, the Seasonal Worker Program faced scrutiny about substandard living conditions for workers in Tasmania, but at Hillwood Berries, Mr Dornauf remained assured of his facilities.

"We're proud of the accommodation we offer our workers, we want to give them every reason to wish to return each season." He said there were many reasons why the workers were there.

"They all have individual goals, wanting to save to build their own house or put their sister through college; some are supporting their families or just want to be comfortable.

"I'm just glad that I can help them do that."

Female workers

For Lupe Veatupu, it's much the same. She has spent two seasons working in Tasmania and is happy she can do the same work that men do at home in Tonga.

"The first time I was here I was scared because it's the first time I'm actually working on the farm," she said.

"After the second day, it was amazing. Back at home we are just hanging about and doing chores with the family – I never thought that I could be a supervisor away from home the same as a male picker.

"We get paid fortnightly and sending money home is a priority, but for me I'm also here with my husband and we're trying to save money for our university tuition.

"We're thankful we can send money home to the family, treat ourselves here and save money for the future."

Tasmanian Women In Agriculture chair Belinda Hazell said she was happy that female seasonal workers were given opportunities to work on the farm.

"It's a mutual exchange. It enriches our community and allows us to learn from them and hear more about their culture," Ms Hazell said.

"We need to make sure in Tasmania that we have the support mechanisms, that we have the appropriate housing and they're paid appropriately for the work they do."

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2020-03-14/female-seasonal-workers-gain-financial-independence-on-farm/1205486

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