Promoting gender equality in rural areas
On 24 March 2025, more than 110 people joined the most recent session of the European Policy Forum on Women-Led Innovation in agriculture and rural areas. The meeting’s focus was on public policies and how they can better support rural women and women farmers across Europe. The online forum is part of the EU-funded GRASS Ceiling project’s efforts to empower rural women and increase the number of socio-ecological innovations led by women in agriculture, the rural economy and rural communities. Coordinated by Belgian project partner European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL), it is not just a platform for sharing results. It aims to mobilise stakeholders and foster impactful dialogue among them and the wider rural and farming community.
Looking at national practices
Besides presenting recent findings from the GRASS Ceiling project and highlighting the Policy Forum’s objectives and initiatives, the session also showcased national good practices using EU funds to promote gender equality in rural development. With regard to Spain, one of the project’s nine living labs, insights were provided on the country’s Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan and the opportunities offered to rural women through EAFRD programming. Information was also shared on the Rural Women’s Challenge programme to promote female entrepreneurship in rural areas, financed by the European Social Fund. For Ireland, another of the project’s living labs, in-depth descriptions were given of mentorship programmes, the country’s Women’s Farmer Capital Investment Scheme, and key initiatives promoting issues, such as the creation of rural start-ups and agricultural modernisation. Scotland’s presentation focused on the country’s current development programme and its policy journey that led to the creation of Scotland’s Women in Agriculture Taskforce in 2019. Besides Ireland, Scotland and Spain, GRASS Ceiling has also created living labs in Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. In these labs, rural women are given the opportunity to network, share knowledge and experiences, and gain the skills needed to innovate and further the socio-ecological transition.
Discussing support mechanisms
The online session also included a high-level round-table discussion moderated by Blanca Casares Guillén, a policy expert at the AEIDL. The discussion centred around the creation of stronger and more inclusive public support mechanisms to support women in farming and rural areas. As reported in a GRASS Ceiling news item, speakers from bodies such as the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Economic and Social Committee, European Women’s Lobby, universities and collaborating EU projects shared insights on systematising public support for women in farming and rural areas. These insights included the importance of greater gender inclusion in increasing competitiveness and GDP, tracking funding for women and challenging persistent stereotypes. Also discussed was the vital support provided to women by regulatory measures such as work-life balance and paid parental leave. There was also a call for gender equality to be “a permanent and structured part of public policy” and for “gender disaggregated data and accurate indicators.” GRASS Ceiling (Gender Equality in Rural and Agricultural Innovation SystemS) will soon publish a report summarising the session’s main takeaways. For more information, please see: GRASS Ceiling project website
Keywords
GRASS Ceiling, gender equality, woman, farming, agriculture, rural, policy