The Role of Females in Agricultural Education and FFA
Women in Agricultural Education and FFA
Agriculture was a male-dominated industry, and FFA and Agricultural Education mirrored the industry with male-dominated membership. However, women had significant roles in agriculture like working with husbands and sons on family farm operations. Women played an important part in agriculture during World War II because many of the men were gone to fight in the war and the women were left to take care of the farms and keep up agricultural production until the war was over.
The important and emerging role of women in agriculture became apparent to members of FFA. In 1967, efforts began to allow membership for females.In 1969, the face of the National FFA changed. Females were finally allowed to obtain national FFA membership. This amendment to the National FFA Constitution allowed women to hold office and compete in events at the regional and national level. Before this amendment, females were only allowed membership at the local and state levels, restricting them from attending leadership conferences and programs in addition to preventing them from holding a National FFA office and competing in contests.
Today the National FFA Organization has over 490,000 members, with approximately 38% female members. About half of the state FFA leadership positions across the nation are held by women. In 1978, Jennifer D. Kelley of the Coosa Valley Vocational FFA in Rome, Georgia was elected as Georgia’s first female State FFA Officer. In 1982, Jan Eberly was elected as National FFA President, making her the nation’s first female elected as FFA President.
Women in Agricultural Education and FFA
Name: ______Class: ______
Directions:
Refer to the information sheet on Women in Agricultural Education and FFA, and complete the following items.
- In what year were females allowed national members in FFA?
- Who was the first woman to serve as National FFA President?
- Who was the first woman to serve as a State FFA Officer in Georgia?
- What was the first year that a female served as a State Officer in Georgia?
- Look around your classroom. How many students in your class are female? What percent of students in your class are female? How does this percentage compare with national FFA statistics?
- Do you think the National FFA Organization would be as successful as it is today without female membership? How would FFA be different if there were no female members? Explain your answers.
- Why do you think the National FFA Organization opened membership to females on the national level?
- What roles do women have today in the agriculture industry and in FFA?
- What roles in Agricultural Education and FFA have women not served in across the nation and in Georgia?
Women in Agricultural Education and FFA
ANSWER KEY
Name: ______Class: ______
Directions:
Refer to the information sheet on Women in Agricultural Education and FFA, and complete the following items.
- In what year were females allowed national members in FFA?
1969
- Who was the first woman to serve as National FFA President?
Jan Eberly
- Who was the first woman to serve as a State FFA Officer in Georgia?
Jennifer D. Kelley
- What was the first year that a female served as a State FFA Officer in Georgia?
1978
- Look around your classroom. How many students in your class are female? What percent of students in your class are female? How does this percentage compare with national FFA statistics?
Answers will vary.
- Do you think the National FFA Organization would be as successful as it is today without female membership? How would FFA be different if there were no female members? Explain your answers.
Answers will vary.
- Why do you think the National FFA Organization opened membership to females on the national level?
Answers will vary.
- What roles do women have today in the agriculture industry and in FFA?
Answers will vary.
- What roles in Agricultural Education and FFA have women not served in across the nation and in Georgia?
Answers will vary.
1
Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office
August 2006