Victorian Rural Women’s Network Reference Group convenors (L-R) Ashley Rogers, Alana Johnson and Jeanette Severs
The reference group will operate through three working groups and three highly regarded convenors have been appointed to lead these groups.
Alana Johnson — Empowered Women group
A pioneer of the rural women’s movement in Australia, Alana was instrumental in establishing the Victorian Rural Women’s Network in the 1980s. She was also a founding member of the peak national advocacy body, Australian Women in Agriculture in 1993. A former President of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women, she has served on Government Advisory Councils and Boards, maintaining a focus on gender representation, sustainable agriculture and rural development. Other appointments include Chair of the Victorian Women’s Trust and member of the Victorian Ministerial Council for Women’s Equality. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, she is collaborating with Museum Victoria on the Invisible Farmer Project, the largest ever national study of women on the land.
Ashley Rogers – Events group
Ashley is a young professional with wide-ranging experience in delivering training and grants for farmers in sustainable agriculture. She has coordinated several ‘Chicks in the Sticks’ events for rural women and is the Regional Landcare Facilitator at Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority. Ashley is also a farm owner and co-manager, Ashden Livestock.
Jeanette Severs – Communications group
Jeanette is a multi-award-winning journalist and photographer who specialises in creating content to communicate rural and agricultural news for national media platforms. She also works in and advises on strategic and corporate communications. Jeanette is a partner in a livestock agribusiness and raised a family in East Gippsland. She is well connected in rural communities through past and current committee and board responsibilities. Jeanette has an influential online presence and a couple of years ago was tagged a content creator by Twitter Australia. A sociology graduate, she is keen to understand what connects people to each other, ideas and spaces.
