Farmer Wants A Wife fans were left disappointed on Monday night when Farmer Dustin’s family came to visit and made some surprising comments about the ladies’ careers.
During the family lunch, Dustin’s dad asks the ladies about their jobs, with Sophie telling him that she’s a speech pathologist and works with young kids.
“I like what I do, but also, you know, always open to new things and different experiences as well,” she shared.
When Anna was asked, she shared how her job as a midwife works, telling the family, “I follow women through their pregnancy, deliver their babies and then see them for six weeks after they have their babies. I’m on call 24/7, it is pretty full on, you’re very busy working full time. But it’s a very beautiful job, it’s very rewarding, it’s a great privilege to do what I do.”
Dustin’s mum, Allison, then tells the camera, “The only thing that worries me about Anna is she may be too career-focused.”
Sarah, Dustin’s sister adds, “I think Anna will miss her career out here, although it would be very, very handy to have a midwife out here. But in [Condobolin] Hospital there’s no baby deliveries there, so that’s the hard part.”
“Giving up your career, and moving into the middle of nowhere where you can’t continue your practising… that’s a big step,” she added.
Allison and Sarah take Belle away and find out she would be happy to stop working as a tourism boat skipper in Tasmania, move to the farm, and make that her life.
“So, Belle, if you moved out here, would you want to work?” Allison asks her.
“Honestly, probably not,” Belle responds, as Allison’s face lights up.
Sarah asked her if she thought Anna and Sophie would be “too focused on their careers”, with Belle telling them she thought they’d “miss it” if they had to stop working to move to Condobolin.
“I don’t think you want to have regrets coming out here,” Belle added.
Allison tells the camera that she thought Belle would be perfect for her son, and the family chooses her for the last 24-hour date.
‘Haven’t left the 1950’s yet’
Fans weren’t so impressed by the comments, with one user writing on Facebook, “I also don’t think it’s fair to hold the fact some of the ladies have a well respected career against them.”
“Yes! Especially since they are both services greatly needed in rural areas,” another replied.
“What’s wrong with women who already have a career doesn’t that show initiative?” a third said.
“Exactly!! Women have every right to have a job where they’re financially independent!” another replied. “Who knows, somewhere down the track that career may be the only thing keeping the show on the road. Apart from that, it’s a good backstop against domestic violence in its various forms, should that ugly thing rear its head.”
“I found the comments about the girls careers very disrespectful,” someone else said. “It’s like they want someone they can mould into what they want and not someone who has shown they can be independent if/when they have to.”
“Agreed. And I’m not a fan. Just so bossy,” one person added. “Who would want to be isolated with her judging you.”
“Yes in-law problems there if he chooses someone else and not Belle,” another said.
“If only they could recruit women from the 1950s,” one X user joked.
“I think some of the farmer’s families haven’t left the 1950’s yet…” another agreed.
“There are many jobs a midwife is suited to do if not delivering babies. Anna is an intelligent, educated woman and I’m sure she’s considered what she might be able to do locally,” a third said.
“In 2024, can we normalise women being able to juggle career and love?” someone else said. “The assumption that women need to abandon their careers for the farms is wild.”