We are thrilled to announce that a new article, “Breaking through barriers: the women driving rural innovation in Europe“, has been published, shining a powerful spotlight on the transformative work of the GRASS CEILING project and our incredible women innovators.
The article, which explores how rural Europe thrives when women’s ideas and leadership are recognised, features several success stories emerging directly from our nine European Living Labs. It validates our core premise: that the most significant untapped resource in European agriculture is the talent of the women already working in the sector.
Our innovators in the spotlight
The piece highlights the journey of women like Albertine Ekkels from the Netherlands. Albertine’s experience is a testament to the power of the Living Labs; after years of juggling farm life and her dream, the network gave her the confidence to launch a successful booking platform for farm-based events. Her nomination for the Young Agricultural Talents award is a source of immense pride for the entire GRASS CEILING consortium.
The article also recognises the impact of innovators in other labs, including the Keane sisters in Ireland (Bean and Goose Chocolate), and Silvia González and Amada de Salas in Spain, showcasing a diverse range of socio-ecological innovations—from digital forestry to agro-tourism.
As Professor Sally Shortall, our project coordinator, is quoted in the article: “The Living Labs show what women can do despite the obstacles. They also show how much more they could do if they were properly supported”. We are proud to be the catalyst for these successes.
Driving Policy Change
Crucially, the article details how GRASS CEILING is moving beyond individual support to systemic change. It underscores the persistent “grass ceiling” that limits women’s influence—a barrier compounded by a lack of gender-sensitive data in many national and EU monitoring systems.
Our work, led by policy expert Blanca Casares Guillén, is directly addressing this data gap by developing tools to propose the inclusion of better gender data into the EU’s Rural Observatory. The article provides visibility to our policy roadmap, which calls for binding commitments on gender equality in EU funding, gender-responsive finance, and better support for rural childcare.
This media coverage is a crucial step in raising awareness about these vital policy recommendations. It demonstrates that our findings, derived from intensive research across nine Living Labs, are resonating on a wider European level.
We encourage all our partners, stakeholders, and community members to read the full article to appreciate the depth of the work being done to break barriers and build new, resilient futures for rural Europe.
Read the full article: “Breaking through barriers: the women driving rural innovation in Europe“