In 2021, the European Commission launched the Rural Pact, as part of its Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas.
The Rural Pact aims to give rural stakeholders a greater voice, move their needs up the policy agenda, support networking, and promote action on the ground. The Rural Pact Community Platform (RPCP) is an important tool for achieving the objectives of the Rural Pact. It is an online space that brings together all members of the Rural Pact Community.
The RPCP provides the opportunity to form Community Groups of stakeholders to facilitate structured exchanges and discussions on common areas of interest. In light of this possibility, GRASS CEILING expressed interest in establishing a group on women in rural areas which was approved on 29 June.
GRASS CEILING is a Horizon Europe project (2023-2025) aiming to boost women-led innovation in farming and rural areas.
The approved Community Group seeks to contribute to a greater understanding of the full contribution of women in rural areas, building on the work conducted by the Horizon project GRASS CEILING and its European Policy Forum for women-led innovation, coordinated by AEIDL and COPA-COGECA.
The objectives of the Community Group are:
- Provide a space for engagement and exchange of knowledge and experiences which contributes to the European Policy Forum for women-led innovation implemented under the Horizon project GRASS CEILING.
- Raise awareness of the needs and challenges faced by women in rural areas as well as of emerging opportunities.
- Share and analyse key policies that support women in rural areas and build recommendations based on lessons learned.
- Create opportunities to link up and connect stakeholders and experts and trigger the development of projects, initiatives and shared action. Provide opportunity for knowledge exchange with other EU funded projects supporting women in rural areas