The Ciudad Real Provincial Fair Institution (IFEDI) was the venue for the IX National Forum WomenAGRO, an important event organized by Siete Agromarketing and eComercio Agrario. Under the slogan “The generational handover with a woman’s name,” the forum brought together participants from across Spain and focused on the urgency of advancing towards real equality in the agri-food sector, highlighting the visibility and leadership of women in rural areas.
One of the key points of the meeting was the proposal to create a National Observatory for Generational Handover in the Rural World. This initiative aims to collect data and design effective measures to promote the inclusion of young women in the agricultural sector. Castilla-La Mancha, hosting the event for the second time, was mentioned as a national model for Shared Ownership, with a total of 267 registered titles, positioning it as the second autonomous community in this regard.
Reconciliation was another central topic of the day, emphasizing the ongoing challenges posed by inequalities in rural areas. Despite political efforts to promote equality, women face greater challenges than men in the distribution of family and professional responsibilities. Furthermore, the need for effective collaboration between rural and urban environments was stressed to improve conditions for equality, as cities often display more favorable indicators.
Gissèle Falcón Haro, director of Siete Agromarketing and advocate for the WomenAGRO Project, received recognition for her work in promoting equality within the agri-food sector. During her speech, she called for adapting technology and tools to the specific needs of women and providing stronger support for their integration in the field. Yolanda Torres de la Torre, the second deputy mayor of Ciudad Real, also underscored the importance of reconciliation, advocating for greater male involvement in household tasks.
Mariana de Gracia Canales Duque, deputy counselor for Common Agricultural Policy of the Castilla-La Mancha Government, highlighted the positive impact of Shared Ownership in the region, contributing 18% to the GDP through the agri-food sector. The vice president of the Ciudad Real Provincial Council, Sonia González Martínez, concluded the opening ceremony by emphasizing that the WomenAGRO project acts as a network for transformation at both national and international levels.
The event included four panel discussions addressing non-family generational handovers, the visibility of women in the wine and oil sectors, the implementation of equality plans in agri-food companies, and the new opportunities arising to achieve equality in rural areas. María Antonia Álvaro García-Villaraco, a provincial deputy in the Equality Area, acknowledged during the closing remarks that while significant progress has been made, there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality in the sector.
via: MiMub in Spanish
