by Lucia Palmioli, University of Pisa
Imagining rural areas in 2040
How can we imagine rural areas in 2040 where women lead innovation, shape local economies, and build inclusive communities? That’s the question GRASS CEILING addressed through a participatory foresight exercise involving women entrepreneurs across Europe. At the core of this process were nine Living Labs (Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Scotland, Norway, Ireland, Lithuania), designed to explore future scenarios, identify challenges, and co-create pathways for inclusive rural transformation.
A Gendered and Grounded Process
This foresight exercise—designed not only to explore futures but to involve those most affected by them—offered both methodological depth and strategic relevance. Participants took part in structured workshops where they were invited to step into the shoes of personas: fictional yet realistic characters inspired by real women in rural settings. Although not originally required, the use of personas quickly became central to the process. It helped participants translate abstract megatrends into tangible, lived realities, allowing them to build more vivid and grounded scenarios.
Barriers That Persist
Through this participatory approach, four future scenarios emerged, developed along two main axes: demographic change and public investment. Across all scenarios, women identified common barriers such as limited access to services, entrenched social norms, and weak policy frameworks.
“Even when support exists, women like me often don’t hear about it until it’s too late or can’t access it because of bureaucratic hurdles.” Social and domestic responsibilities were also a recurring theme: “I want to grow my agri-tourism business, but the lack of childcare and the distance to schools make it very hard to manage both work and family.”
Others highlighted the social isolation that affects women’s ability to innovate: “We feel more and more alone. You can be innovative, but if there’s no one around to support you, it’s like shouting into the void.”
What Makes a Difference
Despite these barriers, the workshops also highlighted key enablers as levers for transformation. Access to digital tools, inclusive education and training, peer networks, and community-led initiatives were repeatedly cited as powerful drivers of change. These elements were often described not only as practical supports, but as sources of resilience and solidarity.
Reimagining the Future
The foresight had also surfaced a set of megatrends likely to shape rural areas over the coming decades: resource scarcity, climate change, demographic shifts, technological acceleration, evolving social norms, and gender inequality. These trends were discussed and reimagined through the lived experiences of the participants, through a gender-sensitive lens.
A Way Forward
By combining participatory methods with scenario thinking, this process made clear that the structural challenges women face in rural areas are not peripheral, but central to the future of innovation. As the project moves forward, these findings can help inform more inclusive and responsive policies, ensuring that women’s voices and realities are integrated into rural development strategies at local, national, and EU level.
For further details on the process, scenarios, and key findings, the full report is available here.
This article is part of Deliverable 1.2 of the Grass Ceiling project. It is an informative summary of the contents of the document entitled ‘Policy brief on megatrends and foresight on women-led innovation in rural areas’, prepared by the academic team of the University of Pisa, led by Professor Sabrina Arcuri. This deliverable is part of Work Package 1, led by Professor Tomas Balezentis of the Lietuvos Socialiniu Mokslu Centras (LCSS), focusing on ‘Women’s role in the future of agriculture, rural economies and communities across Europe’.
