World Grain - February 2020 - 38

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As a female leader in a male-dominated business,
Gleason said it's important to stand up for yourself.
"You have to learn to stand up for yourself and have
a voice, or you'll get trampled," she said.
Perhaps the biggest help in closing the gender gap
and ensuring the success for women is hearing from
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had success in the agriculture industry, and with balancing home and work life. According to the Alltech
survey, one of the key barriers in progressing a career
in the industry is the lack of mentors, with 75% of
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"We need role models and the insight from women
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said. Discussions about career paths need to start early,
she said, as soon as grade school. Gleason agreed that
women need good mentors, people who are going to be
honest, help them and teach them along the way.
"True mentorship from high-level leaders taking an
interest and making sure women are successful would
Larisa Bontrager is one of a few women working in production at
Belstra Milling's facility in Indiana, but she said the company has
help," she said. "Retention of women is such an issue
women in a variety of jobs throughout the facility.
and if mentors genuinely take an interest, they can recognize when someone is struggling or having a hard
When it comes to retention, the sometimes-remote time and help guide and develop. If more women are
locations of agriculture industry jobs can be a chal- getting into the industry, but they're not being successlenge. A common issue is whether there are job oppor- ful, it's moving us backward."
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Churchill echoed the sentiment that mentors and
in many of ADM's locations, it is the single largest em- support is needed among the women in the agribusiployer, D'Ambrose said.
ness industry.
"When people decide to have a partner in life, that part"Women need to stick together and support each othner wants to have a career, too," he said. "There needs er," she said. "There's no need to be so competitive that
to be other employment opportunities for those people. you shut other women out. Companies follow EEOC
It's a real challenge for the industry and a challenge for laws but there's still the male political layer to naviXV:H¶UHZRUNLQJRQKRZZHFDQEHDFRQGXLWWR¿QG JDWHDQGOLNHLWRUQRWLWLVVWLOOGL൶FXOWIRUDZRPDQWR
remote work for people so both can pursue careers."
gain access to that group. You have to support each othGleason and her spouse met while on the job, and er and help each other, whether that's moving ahead or
their employer at the time, Cargill, was good about working to make the workplace more family-friendly."
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both. When she left Ardent, the couple decided they mentoring talented young men and women.
would follow her career.
"It's on all of us to recognize that the talent is there,"
"Now he's in consulting and we can live anywhere in she said. "There are opportunities now that we didn't
the continental U.S.," she said.
have before. There's less stereotyping but we have to
continue to push against that. I think no woman wants
FINDING SOLUTIONS
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Some of the solutions will come from within, accord- to be denied an opportunity because of her gender."
ing to women working in the industry. Results and conCompanies like ADM and Ardent Mills are trying to
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foster those mentorships through a variety of programs.
38

February 2020 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

Photo by Carolina Betancourt Delgado.

FEATURE: GROWING WOMEN'S ROLE IN AGRIBUSINESS

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World Grain - February 2020

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