Survey: “Where’s the boss?”

To kick off the “Nourrir les campus” festival and in celebration of the International Year of Women Farmers, we invite you to a casual get-together focused on the role of women in the agricultural sector.

To do this, we’ll take a closer look at the comic book *Where’s the Boss?* written by Maud Bénézit & Les paysannes en polaire

The project

“Les paysannes en polaire” is the name of a collective of five female farmers.

It is made up of Guilaine Trossat, a meat sheep farmer in Les Assions; Florie Salanié, a beekeeper in Rompon; Marion Boissier, a beekeeper and market gardener in La Voulte; Céline Berthier, a sheep farmer in Coux; and Fanny Demarque, a shepherdess in the Briançonnais region.

They were looking for a way to speak out against the patriarchy in the agricultural world and want to create a comic book that reflects the reality of their lives as women farmers.

The meeting with illustrator Maud Bénézit led to the realization of the project with the comic book *Where’s the Boss?* (2021).

What is surveying?

All participants receive an excerpt from a book; we read it and then discuss what we liked, what struck us, and what made us think… During
the evening, we’ll also have the opportunity to listen to one of the podcasts produced by Justine Havelange, “Parcours de paysannes.”

Synopsis of the comic book

Over the course of a farming season, in a small village, three women farmers—who are neighbors at the market—meet, help one another, and become friends. They have different life stories: Jo has just finished her studies and is settling in to take over a goat farm. Five years ago, Anouk left the city where she lived to move to the countryside; since then, she has been a beekeeper. Coline, married with two children, is a native of the village. Ten years ago, she took over her parents’ farm and dairy sheep. All three face pervasive sexism. They are often asked, “Where’s the boss?”

By following them as they go about their work, we accompany them on their daily journey as they grapple with feminist issues and the challenges of farm life.
By sharing their experiences, these women empower themselves to make a voice heard that offers an alternative to patriarchy.

If you’d also like to join us in discussing gender issues in agriculture in a participatory and friendly setting, then this event is for you!

We hope to see many of you there!

For more information and to register: romane.marchal@ucoopia.org

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