Luis Planas highlights the entrepreneurial and leadership capacity of women in the rural world

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, during his speech at the XV Awards for Excellence in Innovation for Rural Women

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has highlighted the capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship of women in the rural world. Planas acknowledged that much progress has been made in recent years, but that "there is still a long way to go". To this end, the ministry will promote a Family Farming Law with a gender focus that will strengthen the concept of shared ownership. The main objective is to facilitate generational change and to enhance the essential role of women in the sector.

On the occasion of today's International Day of Rural Women, luis Planas and the Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, took part in the award ceremony of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's XV Awards for Excellence in Innovation for Rural Women, which recognise innovative initiatives by women in rural areas. Planas highlighted the leadership of the award winners and recognised that "their values and principles are an example of trust for the community in which they live".

Ana Redondo pointed out that it is a priority for women to be able to have a full and equal life in rural areas: "Women are the mainstay of our rural environments, the key to population retention and an economic engine".

Along these lines, she highlighted the programmes, projects and subsidies implemented through the Women's Institute, aimed at ensuring that "rural women can have a fairer and more equal life". Among the programmes, Redondo pointed out the 'Desafío Mujer Rural' programme, which encourages and supports rural women entrepreneurs, and which also advises and accompanies them in starting up their businesses.

Luis Planas recalled that Spain achieved the inclusion of the gender perspective as a strategic objective in the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and that it is one of the countries that has designed most measures in both direct and rural development aid to strengthen the role of women in agriculture.

Planas also mentioned other similar ministry measures, such as shared ownership, which promotes equality between the people who manage it. So far, 1,345 farms have taken up the scheme. He likewise referred to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Grants of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which has a €51-million line for Digital Entrepreneurs, and the AgroInnpulso programme with a budget of €39 million.

These incentives are complemented by support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, which has 45 programmed interventions with a gender perspective. In addition, in the fisheries sector, the II Plan for Gender Equality has been launched, and the law on sustainable fishing and fisheries research includes greater social protection for professions where the majority are women.

Luis Planas stressed the need to increase women's leadership and participation in the governing bodies of the sector's entities, because "equality is reflected through power, and assuming power is an act of equality and freedom".

The honorary award of the 15th edition of the Excellence in Innovation Awards for Rural Women this year went to the Spanish women's national football team in recognition of their success, and also for becoming a great reference for girls and boys, especially those living in rural areas. This year, three prizes of €18,000, €12,000 and €7,500 were awarded in each of the four categories. The list of award winners from Asturias, Aragón, Castilla y León, Castilla - La Mancha, Cataluña, Cantabria, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura and Galicia can be consulted here.

The minister referred to the need to communicate and highlight the work of rural women and, to this end, he highlighted the celebration of these awards and the 7th edition of the national cycle of cinema and rural women, which begins today and will continue until 17 November as part of the International Day of Rural Women.

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