Dozens of guests enjoyed lunch at Glasshouse Restaurant, while hearing from former NT Cattlemen’s Association (NTCA) chief executive Tracey Hayes and Achmea Australia CEO Emma Thomas.

They spoke of the opportunities and challenges for women taking on senior positions; the changing role of females in farming; and what leadership meant during tough times such as drought.

“Real leadership is about empowerment and respect, and it’s important we understand the barriers and break down the unconscious and – in some case – conscious bias that exists as a roadblock for the leadership progression of women in Australian agriculture,” Ms Hayes said.

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She spoke about her early life in a farming family dominated by male leadership and how it made her “earn [her] place” as a key team member.

That upbringing helped inform her later career strides, including being the first woman in the top job at NTCA – which made her the most powerful person in the territory, according to many commentators.

She said she wanted to challenge the notions that agriculture was “a man’s world” and “not set up” for women to succeed.

“We’re seeing women across the country take on important leadership and governance roles,” Ms Hayes said.

“I do think we’re making progress, particularly in recent years.”

She said “a few well-known examples” were: National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson; Red Meat Advisory Council CEO Anna Campbell; Cattle Council of Australia CEO Margo Andrae; and former Australian Livestock Exporters’ Association CEO Alison Penfold, who is now chief of staff for federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud.

Ms Hayes said the successful female leaders she knew were “driven by passion and capacity, not by quotas”.

Ms Thomas, who has long experience in the agricultural and financial services industries, spoke about the effect of drought – which she described as “the worst in living memory”.

The chief of specialist rural insurance company Achmea Australia, which organised the lunchtime symposium, she said had witnessed first-hand the devastation of drought.

Mrs Thomas shared her hopes that the emergency drought relief package announced on Monday would “go some way to alleviating some of the immediate pressures on farms”.

However, leaving it all behind for a couple of hours was another way to take the pressure off, she said.

“In my experience, during these tough times, though, it’s particularly important to step away from your farm, connect with people who are going through similar challenges, put things in perspective … it can be quite isolating out there on the farm.”