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Photos | Shear success: More women take to sheep farming in Australia

The number of skilled women working with farm animals, including animal trainers, veterinary nurses and shearers and shearing hands, has grown from close to 11,700 in 2006 to almost 19,200 a decade later, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. And while the overall number of women in shearing roles is still small, industry veterans like Emma Billet welcome the turning tide.

Updated on: Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM IST

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Australian sheep shearer Emma Billet, 28, works on a sheep in a station outside the town of Trangie in western New South Wales. She is the only woman in her crew of five shearers, but attitudes on Australian farms are changing and training approaches are encouraging a gender rethink, with more women entering the profession Down Under. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

Australian sheep shearer Emma Billet, 28, works on a sheep in a station outside the town of Trangie in western New South Wales. She is the only woman in her crew of five shearers, but attitudes on Australian farms are changing and training approaches are encouraging a gender rethink, with more women entering the profession Down Under. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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Although there are still fewer than 100 female shearers, the number of skilled women working with farm animals -- including animal trainers, veterinary nurses, shearers and shearing hands -- has grown from close to 11,700 in 2006 to almost 19,200 a decade later according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

Although there are still fewer than 100 female shearers, the number of skilled women working with farm animals -- including animal trainers, veterinary nurses, shearers and shearing hands -- has grown from close to 11,700 in 2006 to almost 19,200 a decade later according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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“It comes back to women being on the land as well. It has become more and more common now just to see women owning farms and running businesses and I guess times have just changed.” Billet said of the rise of women in the industry. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

“It comes back to women being on the land as well. It has become more and more common now just to see women owning farms and running businesses and I guess times have just changed.” Billet said of the rise of women in the industry. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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Emma Billet and wool presser Catherine Carter (L) pose by a station. Women’s roles earlier were just as shed hands who collected wool from the ground. There was resistance in the past from the older generation when it came to their ability to shear but this is changing as new approaches to training are introduced, including female-only programmes, as demand among women grows. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

Emma Billet and wool presser Catherine Carter (L) pose by a station. Women’s roles earlier were just as shed hands who collected wool from the ground. There was resistance in the past from the older generation when it came to their ability to shear but this is changing as new approaches to training are introduced, including female-only programmes, as demand among women grows. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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Jim Murray, of the industry group Australian Wool Innovation, said professional shearing sheds are much more inclusive now than they used to be. While social media has helped celebrate gender and ethnic diversity in shearing sheds, better training, modern technologies and a more professional industry have also cut the gender gap. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

Jim Murray, of the industry group Australian Wool Innovation, said professional shearing sheds are much more inclusive now than they used to be. While social media has helped celebrate gender and ethnic diversity in shearing sheds, better training, modern technologies and a more professional industry have also cut the gender gap. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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Women are also seen as better learners because they often do not come with preconceived ideas about the work. And while progress is being made, Billet, an industry veteran of 10 years, said improving basic facilities like toilets and showers remains an issue for all in the industry. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

Women are also seen as better learners because they often do not come with preconceived ideas about the work. And while progress is being made, Billet, an industry veteran of 10 years, said improving basic facilities like toilets and showers remains an issue for all in the industry. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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She adds that upgrading farming equipment is also critical for a safer and welcoming workplace, after a friend was scalped in an accident in a shed by decades-old machinery last year. Regardless of gender, shearing is “not for the faint hearted”, said Billet, who can shear up to 130 sheep a day, but she welcomes more women into the shed. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

She adds that upgrading farming equipment is also critical for a safer and welcoming workplace, after a friend was scalped in an accident in a shed by decades-old machinery last year. Regardless of gender, shearing is “not for the faint hearted”, said Billet, who can shear up to 130 sheep a day, but she welcomes more women into the shed. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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“It is a physical job which I enjoy. I like to work hard,” the 28-year-old told AFP. “You will feel like you have never felt before, but if you want to be a shearer, if you want to be good at your job... no one or nothing will stand in your way,” she said. (Peter Parks / AFP)

Updated on Mar 07, 2018 12:11 PM

“It is a physical job which I enjoy. I like to work hard,” the 28-year-old told AFP. “You will feel like you have never felt before, but if you want to be a shearer, if you want to be good at your job... no one or nothing will stand in your way,” she said. (Peter Parks / AFP)

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