Men-only farmers’ awards dinner causes outrage for continued ban on women

Women call for an end to ‘sexist’ men-only farmers' dinner in Devon

Agence Producteurs Locaux Damien Kühn (Unsplash )

Female farmers are criticising the industry for sexism and calling on a men-only awards dinner “to get with the times”.

The Dartmouth Fatstock Show in Devon has run for over 100 years and awards local farmers in categories including best cattle, sheep and poultry.

The event – which traditionally takes place on the second Tuesday in December - sees prizes awarded to men and women at a ceremony in the afternoon followed by a men-only awards dinner at a hotel.

The dinner has always been men-only but former mayor of Dartmouth Debbie Morris has called on the show’s committee to scrap the tradition.

Morris told the BBC she was even banned from attending the awards during her time as mayor and told to send a male representative in her place.

"They like to have a raucous evening,” she explained of the men-only dinner. “Perhaps they feel the ladies wouldn't approve."

In response, show chairman Phil Bond said the dinner was a “tradition and how it has always been done”.

The show’s committee - which is made up of four women and 17 men - recently held a vote and decided to continue the ban on the attendance of women. The decision prompted one farmer to resign and claim his request to include the opposite sex was “shouted down”.

Bond said: ‘I've got the support and the backing from the committee to carry on.”

He added that he believes women in farming “are really not bothered” and he’d like to keep out of the “petty argument”.

Jessica Perry, a committee member, said the ban on women was “very outdated now".

Farmer Chloe Quantick, a winner in two categories at this year's show, said of the committee: “They need to stop being a bit sexist and let us in there, because we can have a good laugh just as much as men can, so in my opinion we should be allowed to go.”

There are currently no plans to invite women to future dinners, with Bond adding: “If in the future that changes as a democracy or as a vote within the committee that will carry on.”

In July, the founder of a Pop-up Globe theatre in New Zealand came under fire after casting an all-male Shakespeare cast in its productions and using the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaign hashtags to promote the shows.

Founder Miles Gregory later apologised for using the hashtags, originally intended to highlight misogyny and sexism in society, and agreed he had offended people “very deeply”.

"We are a young organisation, we are learning, and we don't get everything right. It is clear that today we haven't," he said via the pop-up Globe’s Twitter account. "I've let you down."